US Study: Camel Snus Works as Well as Nicotine Gum for Quitting Smoking

Titled “A Randomized Clinical Trial of Snus Versus Medicinal Nicotine Among Smokers Interested in Switching Products,” the study was conducted by Dr. Dorothy Hatsukami and colleagues at the University of Minnesota and the Oregon Research Institute. It recruited about 400 smokers who wanted to switch to snus or nicotine gum in order to quit smoking.

 

Participants were randomly assigned to use Camel Snus Winterchill, Robust (about 2.5 mg nicotine per pouch), Frost, or Mellow (about 1.5 mg), or nicotine gum (2 or 4 mg nicotine), with a free 12-week supply provided. Participants were required to visit the clinic 10 times over 26 weeks, where they completed questionnaires and provided blood samples.

In addition, subjects attended counseling sessions using the NIH Clearing the Air smoking cessation program, which included traditional quitting tips (“take deep breaths, clean things, get moving, start a new hobby, splurge on a massage”). Participants were paid $360 after completing the study.

 

No significant difference in success rates between snus and gum

By analyzing the data collected from the trial, the study authors found no significant differences between participants assigned to snus and those assigned to nicotine gum. “The results indicate that those assigned to medicinal nicotine and snus did not differ significantly in product use, cotinine levels, the extent to which the product substituted for smoking, or rates of abstinence from cigarettes or from any nicotine-containing product. In addition, there was no difference in suppressing the urge to smoke.”

 

One surprising finding was that participants appeared to get more satisfaction from using nicotine gum: “...nicotine gum users reported greater satisfaction and psychological reward from the product.” However, the long-term results contradicted that finding, because after 26 weeks, 14.9% of the snus group were still using only snus, and 11.6% were using both snus and cigarettes, significantly higher than among gum users (6.0% and 6.8%, respectively).

 

Snus is an essential alternative to NRT

In a post on his blog page, tobacco harm reduction advocate Brad Rodu pointed out that the study did not produce any results worth celebrating. “This study is not a reason to celebrate smoking cessation. Six months after the trial began, only 5.1% of gum users and 2.6% of snus users had remained continuously abstinent from smoking (the difference was not significant).”

 

However, he added that the study dispels the view that snus is not a necessary safer alternative. “However, this study does prove that the claim that snus is unnecessary because medicinal nicotine is effective is a fallacy.”