Recently Completed Projects.

Smokeless, spitlees, tobacco products (SST), also called "snus", the Swedish word for snuff, is gaining a foot-hold in the US. With the rate of smoking falling, and use of smokeless tobacco increasing, all major cigarette manufacturers world-wide have entered the smokeless market, often using their popular brand names (e.g., Marlboro Snus, Camel Snus). Newly introduced are smokeless, spitless products with high levels of candy flavorings, certain to appeal to adolescents.

We have developed a system for rapid testing of toxicity and abuse potential of these new products. The system will be helpful when FDA is granted regulatory authority over tobacco.

We recently completed a randomized, single-blind, cross-over trial of two SST products to determine if variation in the proportion of free-base nicotine in new SST products influences perceptions of the sensory and hedonistic qualities of the products, plasma nicotine boost, cardiovascular reactivity, and/or speed of nicotine delivery to the brain (using electroencephalogram- EEG).

We completed a study evaluating Selegiline Transdermal System (STS), as an aid to help people quit smoking. Selegiline has previously been approved by the FDA to treat depression and Parkinson Disease symptoms, but not as a smoking cessation aid. Participants were provided with smoking cessation counseling, regardless of their medication assignment. Full study participation lasted approximately 6 months. The study was sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs.