A NEW STUDY ASKS: DOES SMOKELESS TOBACCO USE AMONG SMOKERS HELP OR HARM TOBACCO ADDICTION?
Novel smokeless tobacco products have been marketed as a way for smokers to cut back on the negative effects of tobacco, while still being able to use it. But is that really the case?
Melissa Blank, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at West Virginia University, is investigating whether smokers are using smokeless tobacco products in place of cigarettes, or as a supplement to them.
To support this research, Blank was awarded a federal grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
“If we find out that smokers are in fact using these products to help replace a significant portion of their cigarettes, then it might be in our best interest to continue to market these products in that manner,” Blank said.