"Tobacco and Water": Testing the Health Halo Effect of Natural American Spirit Cigarette Ads and Its Relationship with Perceived Absolute Harm and Use Intentions.

ABSTRACT: In 2015, the FDA formally warned Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company that their "natural" and "additive-free" claims for its Natural American Spirit cigarettes conveyed reduced harm to consumers. In a settlement, Santa Fe was allowed to continue using the word "natural" in the brand name and the phrase "tobacco and water". The company also uses eco-friendly language and plant imagery and these tactics have also been shown to communicate reduced product harm. In this study, we propose the health halo effect as an overarching framework for explaining how these ad tactics mislead consumers in an effort to provide more comprehensive guidance for regulatory action. In a between-subjects experiment, 1,577 US young adults, ages 18-24, were randomly assigned to view one of five Natural American Spiri

SUBMITTER: Iles IA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10317043 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature