Exploring current smokers? interest in using smokeless tobacco products

描述（由申请人提供）：以经巴氏灭菌的瑞典鼻烟为模型的新型无烟烟草产品现已在美国市场上市，该产品的烟草特有亚硝胺含量非常低，似乎具有较低的健康风险。这些产品已经由包括菲利普莫里斯和RJ雷诺兹在内的制造商销售，与国内传统销售和使用的鼻烟和咀嚼产品不同。这些产品中的大多数都是针对吸烟者无法吸烟的情况（例如，室内公共区域）。无烟烟草（ST）和香烟的双重使用越来越受到关注，但对吸烟者使用无烟产品作为香烟吸烟的临时替代品的兴趣或完全从香烟转换到ST的意愿知之甚少。尤其是相对于折扣的价格-例如，以折扣提供的替代产品可能被视为或多或少有吸引力。拟议的一系列研究试图解决这些问题，使用互补的方法，解决价格与产品采用的关系的不同方面，考虑到其他中介和调节因素。第一项研究将使用基于网络的购买任务，使用行为经济学方法研究ST和香烟的需求曲线。目前吸烟者（n=1008）将被随机分配到完成购买任务之前查看或不查看产品广告，以检查营销对需求曲线特征的影响。交叉价格弹性也将通过联合提出两类产品来评估，替代品以固定价格（1美元）提供。第二组研究使用经济学家常用的实验拍卖方法，通过确定吸烟者在不同情况下的支付意愿，深入了解ST和香烟的相对价值。与目标1中的模拟不同，这涉及实际购买真实的产品，因此可以作为对给定产品感兴趣的更准确的指标。共有675名吸烟者将参加拍卖。拍卖会的特点是操纵的类型和语气的信息提交给参与者有关的产品投标。另一组参与者将有机会尝试产品（骆驼鼻烟，Ariva，承诺）之前，出价（试图模仿'免费采样'）。本研究项目的最后一个组成部分是检查价格，可用性和信息的影响，在当前吸烟人群中的ST替代香烟。参与者（N=240）将被随机分配到6种卷烟价格条件之一，以固定价格提供ST产品（骆驼鼻烟，通用鼻烟，Ariva），并将在模拟零售环境中参与每周的烟草产品“购买”。一份广泛的基线问卷将提供关于潜在中介（估计的需求弹性）和调节（延迟折扣、尼古丁依赖、人口统计学）变量的信息。在不同的研究阶段，将对各种ST产品和香烟的可用性进行操作，有关ST产品的信息的可用性也是如此。我们计划研究价格、可用性和信息对所观察到的ST产品替代卷烟的程度的影响。结果测量包括每天消耗的香烟和ST单位，唾液可替宁水平，肺泡CO水平，以及尼古丁依赖，渴望和戒断的指标。这一系列研究可能有助于梳理价格-产品关系的各个方面，从而更好地为公共政策辩论提供信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Novel smokeless tobacco products modeled on pasteurized Swedish snus, which is very low in tobacco-specific nitrosamines and appears to have low health risks, are now available in the US market. These products have been marketed by manufacturers, including Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds, and differ from the snuff and chew products traditionally sold and used domestically. Most of these products are marketed to smokers for situations when they are unable to smoke (e.g., public indoor areas). Dual use of smokeless tobacco (ST) and cigarettes is a growing concern, but relatively little is known about smokers' interest in using smokeless products as a temporary substitute for cigarette smoking or willingness to switch over completely from cigarettes to ST. A decision to radically change mode of nicotine delivery may depend at least in part on price, especially price relative to cigarettes-a substitute product offered at a discount may be viewed as more or less attractive, for example. The proposed series of studies attempts to address these questions using complementary approaches that address different aspects of the relationship of price to product adoption, considering other mediating and moderating factors. The first study will use a web-based purchase task to examine the demand curve for ST and cigarettes using behavioral economic methods. Current smokers (n=1008) will be randomly assigned to view or not view product advertisements before completing the purchase tasks, to examine the effect of marketing on characteristics of the demand curve. Cross-price elasticity will also be assessed by jointly presenting both classes of products, with the substitute offered at a fixed price ($1). A second set of studies using experimental auction methods commonly used by economists will be employed to gain insight into the relative value of ST and cigarettes by determining smokers' willingness to pay under different scenarios. Rather than a simulation (as in Aim 1), this involves the actual purchase of real products, and so may serve as a more accurate indicator of interest in a given product. A total of 675 smokers will take part in auctions. The auctions will feature a manipulation of the type and tone of information presented to participants about the products for bid. Another group of participants will be offered the opportunity try the product (Camel Snus, Ariva, Commit) prior to bidding (an attempt to mimic 'free sampling'). The final component of this research project is to examine the influence of price, availability, and information on substitution of ST for cigarettes in a population of current smokers. Participants (N=240) will be randomly assigned to one of 6 cigarette price conditions, with ST products (Camel Snus, General Snus, Ariva) offered at a fixed price, and will participate in weekly 'purchases' of tobacco products in a simulated retail environment. An extensive baseline questionnaire will provide information on potential mediating (estimated elasticity of demand) and moderating (delay discounting, nicotine dependence, demographics) variables. Availability of various ST products and cigarettes will be manipulated at different study sessions, as will the availability of information about ST products. We plan to examine the influence of price, availability, and information on the degree of observed substitution of ST products for cigarettes. Outcome measures include cigarettes and ST units consumed per day, saliva cotinine levels, alveolar CO levels, and indicators of nicotine dependence, craving, and withdrawal. The set of studies may help to tease apart the various aspects of the price-product relationship and so better inform public policy debates.