title: Impact of female-oriented cigarette packaging in the United States.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cigarette packaging is among the most prominent forms of tobacco marketing. This study examined the impact of cigarette pack design among young women in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national sample of 18- to 19-year-old females in the United States completed an online survey in February 2010. Participants were randomized to view eight cigarette packs designed according to one of four experimental conditions: fully branded female packs, same packs without descriptors (e.g., "slims"), same packs without brand imagery or descriptors ("plain" packs), and branded non-female brands. Participants rated packs on measures of appeal and health risk and completed a behavioral pack selection task.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fully branded female packs were rated significantly more appealing than the same packs without descriptors, "plain" packs, and non-female-branded packs. Female-branded packs were associated with a greater number of positive attributes including glamour, slimness, and attractiveness and were more likely to be perceived as less harmful. Approximately 40% of smokers and nonsmokers requested a pack at the end of the study; female-branded packs were 3 times more likely to be selected than plain packs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plain packaging and removing descriptors such as "slims" from cigarette packs may reduce smoking susceptibility among young women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Studies & Gerontology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. dhammond@uwaterloo.ca
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doxey
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Maansi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bansal-Travers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000329:Advertising; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D040541:Marketing / Q000379:methods*; D019064:Product Packaging; D012907:Smoking; D013638:Tars; D055697:Taste Perception; D019460:Tobacco Industry; D014481:United States; D014796:Visual Perception; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013638:Tars