Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108223

Stephanie Y. Smith, MPH, Department of Health Policy & Managment/Social and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broaday, Hampton House -- 7th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205, 443-622-3857, stsmith@jhsph.edu and Frances A. Stillman, EdD, Tobacco Control Research Program, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21209.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate awareness, risk perception, and reported use of 'reduced risk' nicotine delivery products (e.g., purported low yield tobacco, medicinal, and novel nicotine) in college freshmen attending the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD during the 2003-2004 academic year.

METHODS: Phase II of the CFNS was a representative cross-sectional web survey (N=421/850). The survey instrument tested hypotheses comparing reported nicotine delivery product use with awareness and risk perceptions of these products in Spring 2004.

RESULTS: 48% of JHU freshmen were aware of modified cigarettes, modified smokeless, and novel nicotine products (excluding shisha/hookah). >20% of freshmen find regulated NRT products more harmful than a regular cigarette. Less than 2% had actually used a 'reduced risk' nicotine product (excluding shisha/hookah). There were a greater proportion of current cigarette and shisha/hookah users (<30-days) than past year users (30-365 day) (19.5% vs. 13.1% and 15.3% vs. 9.5% respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of 'reduced risk' nicotine products was high considering many of the products were available only in limited markets and over the Internet. JHU freshmen generally had misperceptions regarding the harmfulness of nicotine products. There are various problems with 'reduced risk' nicotine products: 1) they are rapidly increasing in number; 2) there is no standard classification system of products; and 3) of all the available nicotine delivery products, only NRT is currently regulated. These issues present challenges for prevention and cessation policymakers, particularly since some products are perceived as being 'reduced risk' despite sufficient evidence to derive such conclusions.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize that hookah/shisha use is a problem on college campuses.
• Identify regulated NRT products that JHU freshmen find more harmful than regular cigarettes.
• Discuss regulatory strategies to standardize the classification of these various ‘reduced risk’ nicotine delivery products.

Keywords: College Students, Smoking

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.