This project is the latest in more than a decade of research into
smokeless tobacco addiction by the investigators, who are behavioral
scientists based at Oregon
Research Institute in Eugene, Oregon. Previous studies by the same
researchers have examined other approaches to smokeless tobacco
cessation, including
- self-help quitting with the LifeSign device
- the use of
nicotine patches and gum as aids in quitting
- the role of dentists
and dental hygienists in helping patients quit
- quitting methods
for use with professional baseball players
The investigators
are:
Herbert H.
Severson, Ph.D. Dr. Severson is an internationally recognized expert
in smokeless tobacco use and cessation. He has authored Enough
Snuff, a 60-page quitting guide published by Applied Behavior Science
Press; Smokeless Tobacco: A Deadly Addiction, published by Health
EdCo; and numerous scientific articles in this field. He has contributed
to three Surgeon General's reports on tobacco use and was a co-author of
the 1994 Institute of Medicine report, Growing Up Tobacco Free.
Dr. Severson was the director of the project.
Edward
Lichtenstein, Ph.D. Dr. Lichtenstein has been a leader in the field of
tobacco cessation for more than 30 years and is known for his early work
in smoking cessation, as well as his more recent work in developing
low-cost approaches to assisting people who want to quit smoking or
smokeless use. Dr. Lichtenstein worked with the phone counselors in
the original study.
Judy A.
Andrews, Ph.D. Dr. Andrews' area of expertise is in research design,
statistics, and evaluation. She has been involved with tobacco
cessation research for over 11 years. Her interests include factors
that lead to tobacco use and those
that predict decrease in use or
cessation. Dr. Andrews
was responsible
for analysis of the data collected from the participants.