A research team at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is asking smokers to trade their cigarettes for nicotine pouches in a month long trial that could reshape tobacco harm reduction.The UW–Madison Centre for Tobacco Research and Intervention plans to enrol 300 volunteers aged 21 and older from the Madison and Milwaukee areas who smoke but have no plans to quit.Director Megan Piper said the small sachets deliver nicotine without burning tobacco, eliminating thousands of chemicals found in smoke. .“We’re not saying nicotine pouches are safe, but if it can get somebody from smoking a combusted cigarette which has 7,000 chemicals, 70 of which cause cancer, to using a different product that doesn’t have any tobacco in it per se, it just has nicotine, we think that might actually result in some improvement in public health,” said Piper.Participants will receive free pouches and up to $380 for completing four weeks of monitored use. Researchers will measure whether cravings drop and whether smokers cut down on cigarettes..Piper warned the white packets can poison children and must be stored like medicine. “One of the things we have to think about is how can we keep this out of the hands of children, but possibly give a tool to someone who is smoking and unable to quit smoking so they can perhaps reduce their exposure to dangers because of their nicotine addiction,” said Piper.Results will help officials decide how, or if, nicotine pouches fit into future cessation programs.
