The Impact of Standardized Tobacco Product Packaging on Young Adults in the Retail Environment
Phase: NA
Conditions: Smoking, Cigarette
Sponsor: RAND

The Impact of Standardized Tobacco Product Packaging on Young Adults in 
the Retail Environment 
NCT05973981 
October 7, 2025 
 

Study Protocol 
Study objective. The overall aim of this research is to experimentally evaluate the 
extent to which partially standardizing the color of tobacco packaging influences 
motivation to quit smoking cigarettes among young adults. The study took place in the 
RAND StoreLab, a life-sized  
replica of a convenience store.  
 
Study design. The experimental conditions that we will compare in this study are: 1) 
Status Quo (Cigarette packages appear as they normally do - no standardization); 2) 
Partial standardization (Cigarette packages appear with half of the package using a 
standardized color); and 3) Full standardization (Cigarette packages appear with the 
entire package covered with a standardized color). 
 
Methods. The study was approved by the RAND Human Subjects Protection  
Committee. Young adult cigarette smokers were recruited from the community through 
standard advertising campaigns. Interested individuals completed an internet screening 
to determine eligibility. Eligible individuals completed informed consent. Participants  
completed a baseline questionnaire that assessed demographics, and smoking and 
tobacco use.  Participants were then randomized to one of the three experimental 
conditions. They were provided with a $20 (fake) RSL gift card and asked to shop in the 
RSL for whatever they wanted, for as long as they wanted. They were asked to purchase 
at least one item and check-out and pay for the item(s) as they would in any convenience 
store. A confederate who was not involved in the consent or survey process served as the 
cashier. This cashier scanned the selected items for a total price, scanned the gift card, 
and bagged the items. After exiting the RSL, participants completed the main outcome 
measure, motivation to quit cigarettes. They then: underwent a graduated debriefing; 
were asked to guess the study’s purpose; and were told that they would be unable to 
retain the items they selected from the RSL. Finally, they received compensation for 
participating. 
 
Statistical analysis plan. First, we evaluated whether randomization distributed pre-
shopping baseline characteristics evenly across the experimental conditions. These 
univariable analyses used either t-tests or chi-squared tests to evaluate significance 
(depending on variable distribution). Next, we used linear regression to evaluate the 
relationship between the experimental conditions and post-RSL shopping motivation to 
quit cigarettes. Models adjusted for age, gender, and race.