Menthol ban plus ads may curb tobacco purchases, study hopes
NCT ID NCT07458607
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at what happens when menthol cigarettes and flavored little cigars are removed from store shelves, combined with quit-smoking ads sent by text. About 1,185 adults who smoke menthol cigarettes will shop in a mock store and answer surveys. The goal is to see if the ban and ads reduce tobacco buying and encourage switching to less harmful products.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Menthol ban and quit-smoking campaign ads
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that banning menthol cigarettes along with supportive ads helps people buy fewer tobacco products, potentially informing public health policies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a behavioral study in a simulated store, not a real-world ban. Results may not reflect actual quitting or long-term health outcomes.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 1,185 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2026
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Are ages 21 years and older * Smoke cigarettes currently (i.e. currently smoke some days or every day and have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime) * Smoke menthol cigarettes * Purchased menthol cigarettes in a store in the past month * Read and speak English * Can complete a survey on a computer without help * Can receive images by text message * Can attend 2 in-person appointments involving shopping tasks and computer surveys Exclusion Criteria: * Are pregnant * Are breastfeeding * Enrolled currently in another research study about quitting smoking
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UNC Mini Mart
RECRUITINGRaleigh, North Carolina, 27609, United States
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