JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The use of filtered cigarettes and vaped nicotine and cannabis has negative individual health effects and creates non-biodegradable, toxic waste from tobacco, e-cigarette, and cannabis waste (TECW). Creating awareness and action to address this public health issue requires expanded knowledge and understanding of TECW harms and more engagement with regulatory policies to reduce tobacco and cannabis use. This novel study is the first testing an intervention to modify tobacco, e-cigarette, and cannabis waste (TECW) knowledge, perceptions, and behavior including use of an innovative digital TECW tracking tool.

Objective:

This study tests the efficacy of an intervention aiming to modify TECW knowledge, harm perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors regarding smoke and vape-free university campus policies among young adults. Our overall goal is to develop an effective, evidence-based educational intervention for use in community-based programs to address TECW.

Methods:

We conducted a randomized controlled trial at two sites representing the two public university systems in the most populous U.S. state, California. Students (n=406, ages 18-25 years) were enrolled in a 6-week trial comparing brief education about TECW plus motivational enhancement and behavioral support for reporting TECW (TECW Ed+) with brief education only about TECW (TECW Ed). Participants were randomized 1:1 to each treatment group, stratified by site and tobacco/cannabis use status. Outcome measures included changes in knowledge, harm perceptions, regulatory attitudes, and behaviors regarding TECW and engagement with smoke and vape-free policies.

Results:

We will determine if brief educational videos accompanied by enhanced motivational and behavioral support increase knowledge of the environmental impact of TECW and change harm perceptions about cigarettes and vape products. We will determine whether such enhanced education increases engagement in smoke and vape free regulatory acceptance and improves outcomes of regulatory policies. This study will be the first randomized controlled trial testing an intervention to modify tobacco and cannabis waste perceptions and behavior.

Conclusions:

This clinical trial aims to determine whether additional motivational and behavioral support will change what young adult college students know about TECW and whether such support will motivate them to engage with regulatory policies to reduce TECW. If successful, scaling up this intervention has the potential to mobilize a large population of young adults to understand and advocate for policies that protect individual and environmental health. Clinical Trial: NCT05751369