Georgia State University Tobacco Control of Regulatory Science (GSU TCORS)
The goal of the Georgia State University Tobacco Control of Regulatory Science titled “The Science of Decision-Making: Connection People and Policy” was to connect people and policy through an understanding of tobacco use and consumer decision-making. The GSU TCORS focused on examining how the diversity of tobacco products, risk perceptions of tobacco products, communications about tobacco products, tobacco product marketing, and economics and policies contribute to tobacco product use and decision-making. The overarching aim of the projects led by the University of Illinois at Chicago is to produce new evidence to inform the FDA's economic impact assessments of future proposed rules concerning use of tobacco products.
The first aim assessed the impact of FDA regulatory actions on tobacco use and related outcomes. We conducted several studies estimating the impacts of potential FDA regulatory actions, such as cigarette point-of-sale advertising bans, graphic warning labels, cigarette point-of-sale display bans on tobacco use among youths and adults.
The second aim used the behavioral economics experiments to assess the impact of FDA regulatory actions on the consumer surplus obtained by tobacco users, with an emphasis on understanding how tobacco users value the role of regulations/policies in enhancing self-control and in supporting efforts to quit. Of particular interest is the time inconsistencies of present bias and projection bias displayed in smokers’ decisions about tobacco use.
Finally , the third aim assessed the economic impact of FDA regulatory actions by extending the range of costs and benefits. We used existing data to expand the set of costs and benefits considered in FDA's economic impact analysis of cigarette warnings. We included the benefits that accrue from reductions in nonsmokers' exposure to cigarette smoke and maternal smoking during/after pregnancy, the longer term benefits resulting from increased cessation and reduced initiation, the broader economic benefits resulting from reduced prevalence of tobacco use, and other cost and benefit categories.