Exploring current smokers? interest in using smokeless tobacco products

描述（由申请人提供）：以巴氏消毒瑞典鼻烟为模型的新型无烟烟草制品，其烟草特异性亚硝胺含量非常低，似乎具有低健康风险，现已在美国市场上市。这些产品已由包括菲利普莫里斯和雷诺公司在内的制造商销售，与传统上在国内销售和使用的鼻烟和咀嚼产品不同。这些产品大多是在吸烟者无法吸烟的情况下（例如，公共室内区域）向他们推销的。无烟烟草（ST）和卷烟的双重使用日益受到关注，但吸烟者对使用无烟产品作为吸烟的暂时替代品的兴趣或完全从卷烟转向ST的意愿知之甚少。从根本上改变尼古丁传递方式的决定可能至少部分取决于价格，特别是相对于卷烟的价格-例如，以折扣提供的替代产品可能被视为或多或少具有吸引力。所提出的一系列研究试图利用解决价格与产品采用关系的不同方面的互补方法来解决这些问题，同时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检查ST和香烟的需求曲线。目前吸烟者（n=1008）在完成购买任务之前随机分配观看或不观看产品广告，以检验市场营销对需求曲线特征的影响。交叉价格弹性也将通过联合展示两类产品来评估，替代品以固定价格（1美元）提供。第二组研究将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，来深入了解ST和香烟的相对价值。而不是模拟（如在目标1中），这涉及到对真实产品的实际购买，因此可以作为对给定产品的兴趣的更准确的指示器。共有675名吸烟者将参加拍卖。拍卖将以操纵向参与者提供的有关投标产品的信息的类型和语气为特色。另一组参与者将有机会在竞标之前尝试产品（Camel Snus, Ariva, Commit）（试图模仿“免费抽样”）。本研究项目的最后一个组成部分是检查价格、可得性和信息对当前吸烟者中烟草替代品的影响。参与者（N=240）将被随机分配到6种香烟价格条件中的一种，其中ST产品（Camel Snus, General Snus, Ariva）以固定价格提供，并将参与在模拟零售环境中每周“购买”烟草产品。一份广泛的基线问卷将提供关于潜在中介（估计需求弹性）和调节（延迟折扣、尼古丁依赖、人口统计）变量的信息。在不同的研究阶段，各种ST产品和香烟的可获得性将被控制，关于ST产品的信息的可获得性也将被控制。我们计划检验价格、可获得性和信息对观察到的ST产品替代香烟程度的影响。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、渴望和戒断指标。这组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.