Science News (ScienceDaily.com)
... from universities, journals, andother research organizations
Researchers to Study How Young Adults UseE-Cigarettes, Snus
Feb. 7, 2013 — Researchers at theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Health Research and Policyhave received a $2.3 million federal grant to study how young adults usehookahs, snus, electronic cigarettes, and other new tobacco products.
"What's intriguing and potentiallychallenging about the introduction of these new products is that they areperceived by many people as being safer products and alternatives to traditional,combustible tobacco," says Robin Mermelstein, director of the UICinstitute and principal investigator of the National Cancer Institute-fundedstudy.
Young adults are a vulnerablepopulation, said Mermelstein, a professor of psychology at UIC.
"Our study is going to look atwhat some of their motivations are for using these products; how they use them;where they use them," she said. "Does it increase their overalltobacco dependence? Or, perhaps, does it help them reduce their tobaccodependence?"
Many young adults and older adultsthink such products are not tobacco and are not harmful, Mermelstein said. Theymay even believe that the government has endorsed their safety.
Electronic cigarettes, also known ase-cigs, are battery-operated devices that produce a vaporized or aerosolizednicotine -- known to be addictive -- which is inhaled. The smokeless devicescan be used in non-smoking environments and are not regulated in most states.They do not carry FDA health warning labels.
The researchers will followapproximately 230 young adults, ages 18 to 30, who regularly use non-cigaretteforms of tobacco. The participants will carry electronic diaries to record howand when they use tobacco each day.
The researchers will try to assess ifthe subjects are using the alternative tobacco products in conjunction withcigarettes, as a bridge or a delaying tactic to quitting smoking, as a stylestatement, or if they are using the products simultaneously with alcohol ordrugs.
Young adults are a big market fortobacco companies, as they are often willing to try new products and experimentin a variety of settings, Mermelstein said. She and her coworkers also hope todevelop new ways to convey factual information about alternative tobaccoproducts to young adults.
"We're interested in seeing ifthere are effective and persuasive visual messages that we can convey throughsmartphone applications, to let people know what it is about these productsthat might make them harmful or helpful," Mermelstein said.
Co-investigators are Don Hedeker, KathiDiviak, Jason Leigh, Steve Jones, Robert Kenyon and Alicia Matthews of UIC, andThomas Piasecki of the University of Missouri.
The project is supported by theNational Cancer Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health, underaward number P01CA098262.
... from universities, journals, andother research organizations
Researchers to Study How Young Adults UseE-Cigarettes, Snus
Feb. 7, 2013 — Researchers at theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Health Research and Policyhave received a $2.3 million federal grant to study how young adults usehookahs, snus, electronic cigarettes, and other new tobacco products.
Young adults are a vulnerablepopulation, said Mermelstein, a professor of psychology at UIC.
"Our study is going to look atwhat some of their motivations are for using these products; how they use them;where they use them," she said. "Does it increase their overalltobacco dependence? Or, perhaps, does it help them reduce their tobaccodependence?"
Many young adults and older adultsthink such products are not tobacco and are not harmful, Mermelstein said. Theymay even believe that the government has endorsed their safety.
Electronic cigarettes, also known ase-cigs, are battery-operated devices that produce a vaporized or aerosolizednicotine -- known to be addictive -- which is inhaled. The smokeless devicescan be used in non-smoking environments and are not regulated in most states.They do not carry FDA health warning labels.
The researchers will followapproximately 230 young adults, ages 18 to 30, who regularly use non-cigaretteforms of tobacco. The participants will carry electronic diaries to record howand when they use tobacco each day.
The researchers will try to assess ifthe subjects are using the alternative tobacco products in conjunction withcigarettes, as a bridge or a delaying tactic to quitting smoking, as a stylestatement, or if they are using the products simultaneously with alcohol ordrugs.
Young adults are a big market fortobacco companies, as they are often willing to try new products and experimentin a variety of settings, Mermelstein said. She and her coworkers also hope todevelop new ways to convey factual information about alternative tobaccoproducts to young adults.
"We're interested in seeing ifthere are effective and persuasive visual messages that we can convey throughsmartphone applications, to let people know what it is about these productsthat might make them harmful or helpful," Mermelstein said.
Co-investigators are Don Hedeker, KathiDiviak, Jason Leigh, Steve Jones, Robert Kenyon and Alicia Matthews of UIC, andThomas Piasecki of the University of Missouri.
The project is supported by theNational Cancer Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health, underaward number P01CA098262.
