Tobacco Control
Our research examines how to communicate the harms of using tobacco products.
Vaping is epidemic in some populations. We study reasons for overuse and how to communicate the harms of e-cigarettes. Funded by NCI an NIDA.
Pictorial warnings are now used on cigarette packs in over 100 countries. Our RCT and meta-analyses show that pictorial warnings can encourage smokers to quit. Funded by FDA and NCI.
Articles
- Effect of pictorial cigarette pack warnings on changes in smoking behavior: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2016. Brewer, Hall, Parada, Ribisl. PDF
- Pictorial cigarette pack warnings: A meta-analysis of experimental studies. Tobacco Control, 2016. Noar, Hall, Pepper, Brewer. PDF
- Electronic nicotine delivery system (electronic cigarette) awareness, use, reactions, and beliefs: A systematic review. Tobacco Control, 2014. Pepper, Brewer. PDF
- Communicating about chemicals in cigarette soke: Impact on knowledge and misunderstanding. Tobacco Control, 2020. Lazard, Byron, Peters, Brewer. PDF
- “Organic,” “natural,” and “additive-free” cigarettes: Comparing the effects of advertising claims and disclaimers on perceptions of harm. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2019. Baig, Byron, Lazard, Brewer. PDF
- Cigarette pack messages about toxic chemicals: A randomized clinical trial. Tobacco Control, 2019. Brewer, Mendel, Hall, Noar, Baig, Morgan. PDF
- Reducing nicotine without misleading the public: Descriptions of cigarette nicotine level and accuracy of perceptions about nicotine content, addictiveness, and risk. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2019. Byron, Hall, Brewer. PDF
- Advancing tobacco product warning labels research methods and theory: A summary of a grantee meeting held by the US National Cancer Institute. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2019. Thrasher, Brewer. PDF
- Interest in “organic,” “natural,” and “additive-free” cigarettes after hearing about toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke. PLoS One, 2019. Baig, Byron, Pepper, Brewer. PDF
- Public understanding of cigarette smoke chemicals: Longitudinal study of US adults and adolescents. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2019. Jeong, Noar, Zhang, Mendel, Agans, Boyton, Byron, Baig, Ranney, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Advancing tobacco product warning labels research methods and theory: A summary of a grantee meeting held by the US National Cancer Institute. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2018. Thrasher, Brewer. PDF
- Brand switching and toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke: A national study. PLoS ONE, 2018. Mendel, Baig, Hall, Jeong, Morgan, Noar, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Cigarette pack messages about toxic chemicals: a randomised clinical trial. Tobacco Control, 2018. Brewer, Jeong, Mendel, Hall, Zhang, Parada, Boynton, Noar, Baig, Morgan, Ribisl. PDF
- Effective formats for communicating risks from cigarette smoke chemicals. Tobacco Regulatory Science, 2018. Byron, Lazard, Peters, Schmidt, Brewer. PDF
- Identifying principles for effective messages about chemicals in cigarette smoke. Preventive Medicine, 2018. Noar, Kelley, Boynton, Morgan, Hall, Mendel, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Impact of modified risk tobacco product claims on beliefs of US adults and adolescents. Tobacco Control, 2018. El-Toukhy, Baig, Jeong, Byron, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Increasing effectiveness of messages about chemicals in cigarette smoke. Tobacco Regulatory Science, 2018. Morgan, Moracco, Mendel, Kelley, Noar, Brewer. PDF
- IQOS reduced exposure claims mislead consumers to believe the product is less harmful. Comment for FDA Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. 2018. Byron, Baig, Jeong, Ribisl, Hall, Brewer. PDF
- “Organic,” “Natural,” and “Additive-Free” cigarettes: Comparing the effects of advertising claims and disclaimers on perceptions of harm. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2018. Baig, Byron, Lazard, Brewer. PDF
- Public misperception that very low nicotine cigarettes are less carcinogenic. Tobacco Control, 2018. Byron, Jeong, Abrams, Brewer. PDF
- Communicating about cigarette smoke constituents: An experimental comparison of two messaging strategies. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2017. Baig, Byron, Boynton, Brewer, Ribisl. PDF
- Communicating tobacco product information to the public. Food Drug Law Journal, 2017. Berman, Byron, Lazard, Peters. Brewer. PDF
- Effective message elements for disclosures about chemicals in cigarette smoke. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2017. Kelley, Boynton, Noar, Morgan, Mendel, Ribisl, Stepanov, Brewer. PDF
- Erratum to: Understanding how perceptions of tobacco constituents and the FDA relate to effective and credible tobacco risk messaging: a national phone survey of U.S. adults, 2014-2015. BMC Public Health, 2017. Boynton, Brewer, Noar, Ribisl. PDF
- How hearing about harmful chemicals affects smokers’ interest in dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Preventive Medicine, 2017. Pepper, Byron, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- How people think about the chemicals in cigarette smoke: A systematic review. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2017. Morgan, Byron, Baig, Brewer. PDF
- A response from Morgan, Myron, Baig, Stepanov, and Brewer. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2017. Morgan, Byron, Baig, Brewer. PDF
- Icons for health effects of cigarette smoke: A test of semiotic type. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2017. Lazard, Schmidt, Vu, Byron, Boynton, Brewer. PDF
- Website designs for communicating about chemicals in cigarette smoke. Health Communication, 2017. Lazard, Byron, Vu, Schmidt, Brewer. PDF
- Public understanding of cigarette smoke constituents: Three US surveys. Tobacco Control, 2016. Brewer, Morgan, Baig, Mendel, Boynton, Pepper, Byron, Noar, Agans, Ribisl. PDF
- Understanding how perceptions of tobacco constituents and the FDA relate to effective and credible tobacco risk messaging: A national phone survey of U.S. adults, 2014-2015. BMC Public Health, 2016. Boynton, Agans, Brewer, Ribisl. PDF
- “My first thought was croutons:” Perceptions of cigarettes and cigarette smoke constituents among adult smokers and nonsmokers. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2016. Moracco, Morgan, Mendel, Hall, Brewer. PDF
- Smokers’ and non-smokers’ beliefs about harmful tobacco constituents: Implications for FDA communication efforts. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2014. Hall, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- E-cigarette health harm awareness and discouragement: Implications for health communication. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2020. Rohde, Noar, Mendel, Hall, Baig, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Evaluating the actual and perceived effectiveness of e-cigarettes prevention advertisements among adolescents. Addictive Behaviors, 2020. Noar, Rohde, Hall, Brewer. PDF
- The Prototypes of Tobacco Users Scale (POTUS) for cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use: Development and validation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020. Butler, Hall, Chen, Pepper, Brewer. PDF
- Impact of e-cigarette health warnings on motivation to vape and smoke. Tobacco Control, 2019. Brewer, Jeong, Hall, Baig, Mendel, Lazard, Noar, Kameny, Ribisl. PDF
- E-cigarette health harm awareness and discouragement: Implications for health communication. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2019. Rohde, Noar, Mendel, Hall, Baig, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Adolescents have unfavorable opinions of adolescents who use e-cigarettes. PLoS One, 2018. McKelvey, Popova, Pepper, Brewer.
- Symptoms during adolescents’ first use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes: A pilot study. International Journal of Environmental Research in Public Health, 2017. Chen, Hall, Parada, Peebles, Brodar, Brewer. PDF
- Adolescents’ interest in trying flavored e-cigarettes. Tobacco Control, 2016 (in press). Pepper, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Social interactions as a source of information about e-cigarettes: A study of U.S. adult smokers. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health, 2016. Hall, Pepper, Morgan, Brewer. PDF
- Physicians’ counseling of adolescents regarding e-cigarette use. Journal of Adolescent Health, 2015. Pepper, Gilkey, Brewer. PDF
- How risky is it to use e-cigarettes? Smokers’ beliefs about their health risks from using novel and traditional tobacco products. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2015. Pepper, Emery, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Effects of advertisements on smokers’ interest in trying e-cigarettes: The roles of product comparison and visual cues. Tobacco Control, 2014. Pepper, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Reasons for starting and stopping electronic cigarette use. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2014. Pepper, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- How U.S. adults find out about electronic cigarettes: Implications for public health messages. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2014. Pepper, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Electronic nicotine delivery system (electronic cigarette) awareness, use, reactions, and beliefs: A systematic review. Tobacco Control, 2014. Pepper, Brewer. PDF
- Effects of advertisements on smokers’ interest in trying e-cigarettes: The roles of product comparison and visual cues. Tobacco Control, 2014. Pepper, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Adolescent males’ awareness of and willingness to try electronic cigarettes. Journal of Adolescent Health, 2013. Pepper, Reiter, McRee, Gilkey, Brewer. PDF
- Message perceptions and effects perceptions as proxies for behavioral impact in the context of anti-smoking messages. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2021. Baig, Noar, Gottfredson, Brewer. PDF
- Pictorial cigarette pack warnings increase some risk appraisals but not risk beliefs: A meta-analysis. Human Communication Research, 2020. Noar, Rohde, Hall Brewer. PDF
- Understanding why pictorial cigarette pack warnings increase quit attempts. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2019. Brewer, Hall, Noar. PDF
- Pictorial cigarette pack warnings increase quitting: A comment on Kok et al. Health Psychology Review, 2018. Brewer, Hall, Noar. PDF
- Conversations about pictorial cigarette pack warnings: Theoretical mechanisms of influence. Social Science & Medicine, 2018. Morgan, Golden, Noar, Ribisl, Jeong, Hall, Brewer. PDF
- Frequency and content of conversations about pictorial warnings on cigarette packs. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2018. Morgan, Noar, Ribisl, Golden, Brewer. PDF
- Negative affect, message reactance, and perceived risk: How do pictorial cigarette pack warnings change quit intentions? Tobacco Control, 2018. Hall, Sheeran, Noar, Boynton, Ribisl, Parada, Brewer. PDF
- Pictorial cigarette pack warnings increase quitting: A comment on Kok et al. Health Psychology Review, 2018. Brewer, Hall, Noar. PDF
- Placing health warnings on e-cigarettes: A standardized protocol. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2018. Mendel, Hall, Baig, Jeong, Brewer. PDF
- Public support for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs: An experimental study of US smokers. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2018. Hall, Marteau, Sunstein, Ribisl, Noar, Brewer. PDF
- “That’s probably what my mama’s lungs look like”: How adolescent children react to pictorial warnings on their parents’ cigarette packs. BMC Public Health, 2018. Brodar, Byron, Peebles, Hall, Pepper, Brewer. PDF
- Understanding why pictorial cigarette pack warnings increase quit attempts. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2018. Brewer, Parada, Hall, Boynton, Noar, Ribisl. PDF
- Why smokers avoid cigarette pack risk messages: Two randomized clinical trials in the United States. Social Science & Medicine, 2018. Hall, Mendel, Noar, Brewer. PDF
- A brief measure of reactance to health warnings. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2017. Hall, Sheeran, Noar, Ribisl, Boynton, Brewer. PDF
- Trajectories of responses to pictorial cigarette pack warnings. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2017. Parada, Hall, Boynton, Brewer. PDF
- Effects of strengthening cigarette pack warnings on attention and message processing: A systematic review. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 2016. Noar, Francis, Bridges, Brewer, Ribisl. PDF
- The impact of strengthening cigarette pack warnings: Systematic review of longitudinal observational studies. Social Science & Medicine, 2016. Noar, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Reactance to health warnings scale: Development and validation. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2016. Hall, Noar, Ribisl, Bach, Brewer. PDF
- Effect of pictorial cigarette pack warnings on changes in smoking behavior: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2016. Brewer, Hall, Parada, Ribisl. PDF
- Effects of pictorial cigarette pack warnings on changes in smoking behaviors: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2016. Brewer, Hall, Noar, Parada, Bach, Ribisl. PDF
- Pictorial cigarette pack warnings: A meta-analysis of experimental studies. Tobacco Control, 2016. Noar, Hall, Pepper, Brewer. PDF
- Adolescents’ responses to pictorial warnings on their parents’ cigarette packs. Journal of Adolescent Health, 2016 (in press). Peebles, Hall, Pepper, Byron, Brewer. PDF
- Social interactions sparked by pictorial warnings on cigarette packs. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2015. Hall, Peebles, Bach, Brewer. PDF
- Pictorial cigarette pack warnings have important effects. American Journal of Public Health, 2015. Noar, Hall, Brewer. PDF
- Testing warning messages on smokers’ cigarette packages: A standardized protocol. Tobacco Control, 2015. Brewer, Hall, Peebles, Ribisl. PDF
- Responses of young adults to graphic warning labels for cigarette packages. Tobacco Control, 2015. Cameron, Pepper, Brewer. PDF
- Non-smoking male adolescents’ reactions to cigarette warnings. PLoS One, 2013. Pepper, Reiter, McRee, Brewer. PDF
- Experimental study on warning statements for cigarette graphic health warnings: Response to FDA request for comments. Comment submitted on Federal Register Docket No. FDA–2017–N–093, 2017. Hall, Ribisl, Noar, Brewer. PDF
- Incremental criterion validity of message perceptions and effects perceptions in the context of anti-smoking messages. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 2021. Baig, Noar, Gottfredson, Brewer. PDF
- Measuring cigarette smoking risk perceptions. Nicotine and Tobacco Ressearch, 2020. Kaufman, Twesten, Suls, Brewer. PDF
- Interest in illicit purchase of cigarettes under a very low nicotine content product standard. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2019. Hall, Byron, Brewer, Noar. PDF
- UNC Perceived Message Effectiveness: Development and validation of a brief scale. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2018. Baig, Noar, Gottfredson, Boynton, Ribisl, Brewer. PDF
- Attitudes toward FDA regulation of newly deemed tobacco products. Tobacco Regulatory Science, 2017. Kowitt, Goldstein, Schmidt, Hall, Brewer. PDF
- Social identity and support for counteracting tobacco company marketing that targets vulnerable populations. Social Science & Medicine, 2017. Baig, Pepper, Morgan, Brewer. PDF
- Adolescents’ and adults’ perceptions of “natural,” “organic,” and “additive-free” cigarettes and required disclaimers. Tobacco Control, 2016. Byron, Baig, Brewer. PDF
- Recruiting diverse smokers: Enrollment yields and cost. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health, 2016. Brodar, Hall, Parada, Brewer. PDF
Funding Disclosure
Our tobacco control research has been funded by FDA, NCI and NIA. Dr. Brewer has been a paid consultant for litigation against tobacco companies and has been a paid member of an advisory board for FDA.