As an Associate Professor of Oncology in Roswell Park’s Department of Health Behavior, my work focuses on the interaction that smokers and other tobacco users have with the products they purchase. It’s quite common for smokers to become attached to not only a specific product, but also a specific brand. At Roswell Park, we’re asking the following questions: “What do smokers think of their products?” “How do they use them?” and “What makes them switch between different products (e.g. cigarettes, smokeless cigarettes, other nicotine delivery sources, etc.)?”
Right now, we are conducting a study that looks at the interest current smokers may have in moving to smokeless tobacco products and e-cigarettes. Though not free of harm potential, these products may pose much less of a long-term health risk over traditional cigarettes.
We are currently looking for about 200 smokers from the Western New York area who are interested in participating in a five-week trial. If selected, you will come see us in person at Roswell Park, then try a variety of smokeless tobacco products. If you find one that interests you, we’ll ask you to fill out just a few questions on a survey. Then, you would test that product for several weeks, share with us some measurements of your usage, and ultimately determine if you would see that product as an alternative to cigarettes.
The purpose of the study is to help us develop an understanding of what factors underlie smokers’ use of different products. We hope that information will then inform the regulation of tobacco products and tobacco product marketing by the Food & Drug Administration.
Interested in helping to create a greater knowledge base to fight tobacco-related disease and cancer? Give us a call or email today to get involved! It’s just one more way you and Roswell Park will ensure that cancer can’t win.