How modified-risk claims affect demand for Copenhagen and General Snus
Ifluence of Authorized Smokeless Tobacco Product Modified Risk Claims II: Laboratory Assessment of Sensory and Subjective Effect
This project will test whether new 'modified risk' claims for Copenhagen and General Snus change daily smokers' interest in trying them and how much they'd be willing to pay.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 160 (estimated) |
| Ages | 21 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Roswell Park Cancer Institute Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Buffalo, New York) |
| Trial ID | NCT07102082 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This interventional study presents daily cigarette smokers with either a modified-risk claim or no claim for two smokeless tobacco brands and measures effects on product demand using an experimental auction and on perceived disease risk with questionnaires. Participants are recruited from eight counties in Western New York and complete online survey procedures. Key eligibility limits include daily smoking (≥5 cigarettes/day for ≥1 year), openness to trying non-combusted oral tobacco, and no recent smokeless tobacco use or prior use of the branded products. The design compares responses between claim and no-claim conditions to estimate how modified-risk messaging shifts willingness to pay and risk perceptions.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adult daily cigarette smokers (at least 5 cigarettes per day for at least one year) who live in one of the eight specified Western New York counties, are open to trying non-combusted oral tobacco, and can complete online surveys are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who currently use smokeless tobacco at least weekly, have ever used Copenhagen or General Snus, plan to quit smoking within 30 days, are pregnant, or live outside the listed counties would not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help regulators, clinicians, and public health officials understand whether modified-risk claims make smokers more likely to switch to or try smokeless products and how those claims change perceived health risk.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research on modified-risk claims for tobacco products is limited and mixed—some work shows such claims can lower perceived harm and increase product interest, while other studies raise concerns about misperception and unintended uptake.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Residing in one of the 8 counties of Western New York (Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Allegheny, Livingston, Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming). * Smoke cigarettes every day, at least 5 cigarettes per day, for at least 1 year. * Open to trying a non-combusted oral tobacco product. * Have access to a device (ie: computer/tablet/smartphone) with internet capabilities to participate in an online survey study. * Have the ability to read, write, and communicate in English. * Participant must understand the investigational nature of this study and an Independent Ethics Committee/Institutional Review Board approved information sheet prior to receiving any study related procedure Exclusion Criteria: * Plan to quit smoking in the next 30 days. * Use of smokeless tobacco at least weekly in the last 6 months. * Lifetime use (that is, ever used at any time prior to the study) of Copenhagen or General Snus. * Unwilling or unable to follow protocol requirements. * Pregnant or planning to become pregnant (by self report)
Where this trial is running
Buffalo, New York
- Roswell Park — Buffalo, New York, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Richard O'Connor — Roswell Park
- Study coordinator: Ask Rpci
- Email: askroswell@roswellpark.org
- Phone: 1-800-767-9355
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.