Effect of plain cigarette packaging on point-of-sale purchasing behavior among young adults who smoke.

Abstract

Objective: This experiment evaluated how full versus partial plain cigarette packaging, compared with fully branded packaging, affects young adult smokers' cigarette purchasing and motivation to quit smoking in a simulated retail point-of-sale environment.

Method: The experiment took place in the RAND StoreLab, a life-sized replica of a convenience store. Smokers (N = 433) aged 21-34 years were randomly assigned to shop in one of three store conditions: (a) a status quo condition, featuring a typical U.S. tobacco power wall; (b) a full coverage condition, where cigarette packages were fully standardized in a uniform brown-green color; or (c) a half coverage condition, where only the top half of packages were standardized. Cigarette purchases were tracked, and participants completed measures of motivation to quit smoking pre- and postshopping. Logistic regression was used to examine condition effects on these outcomes.

Results: Participants in the full coverage condition were significantly less likely to purchase cigarettes than those in the status quo condition, adjusted OR = 0.54, p = .04. In contrast, the half coverage condition had no effect on cigarette purchasing, adjusted OR = 0.96, p = .88. Neither the full coverage nor the half coverage condition significantly affected motivation to quit smoking, ps = .53 and .64, respectively.

Conclusions: This study provides novel experimental evidence in support of full plain packaging as a means to further reduce cigarette purchasing in the United States. The lack of an effect of partial plain packaging suggests that this option may not be a sufficient means of regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).