Effect of fruit and mint flavored Rogue ® oral nicotine product use on smoking reduction and quitting in a 6-Month prospective cohort of adults who smoke cigarettes

• Published in: BMC public health 2024-11, Vol.24 (1), p.3249-12, Article 3249
• Main Authors: McDowell, Elliott H, Kennedy, Jason N, Feehan, Michael, Bell, Stacey A, Marking, Sarah E, Zdinak, Jessica P, Joyce, Andrew R, Humphreys, Michelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Cigarette smoking; Cigarettes; Consent; Electronic cigarettes; Enrollments; Female; Flavored tobacco products; Flavoring Agents; Flavors; Fruit; Fruits; Health aspects; Humans; Influence; Male; Mentha; Methods; Middle Aged; Nicotine; Nicotine - administration & dosage; Nicotine pouches; Oral nicotine products; Prospective Studies; Regression analysis; Smoke; Smoking; Smoking Cessation - methods; Smoking cessation programs; Smoking Reduction; Smoking reduction and quitting; Switching behaviors; Tobacco; Tobacco Products; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-20463-3

Quitting cigarette smoking can substantially reduce or eliminate the risk of developing numerous chronic diseases. Use of flavored tobacco or nicotine products is commonly cited by adults who smoke cigarettes to be important in helping them reduce or quit smoking. The purpose of this analysis was to understand the association between the levels of use of flavored oral nicotine products and smoking reduction and quitting and how reduction or quitting may differ between predominant users of fruit/other versus mint flavored oral nicotine products after six months of use. Participants were provided with their choice of a variety of forms and flavors of Rogue nicotine products (Study Products) over a 6-month actual use period and completed online surveys assessing tobacco, nicotine and Study Product use at Baseline and Months 1, 2, 4, and 6 thereafter. Among the 1393 participants at Month 6, 41.4% and 52.5% used predominantly fruit/other or mint Study Product flavors, respectively. Compared to predominant mint users, predominant fruit/other users had greater cigarette reduction (mean reduction: 50.0% vs. 48.4%) and a higher proportion had quit smoking (proportion quit: 15.4% vs. 11.6%) at Month 6. Additionally, 38.8% of predominant fruit/other users and 39.3% of predominant mint users reduced their cigarette consumption by ≥ 50% from Baseline. Increased use of fruit/other flavors was independently associated with smoking reduction (8.6% greater reduction per 10 pieces/day; p