Smokeless nicotine seen as a bridge for military members and veterans quitting cigarettes

At a Hill event, health officials and advocates discussed using smokeless nicotine products as a bridge away from combustible cigarettes for current and former service members, noting tobacco use rates in the military are higher than in the general U.S. population.

Speakers at a Hill event discussed smokeless nicotine products as a possible path away from combustible cigarettes for service members and veterans. The panel included Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Health Affairs Stephen Ferrara and HunterSeven Foundation co-founder Chelsey Simoni. Ferrara described nicotine replacement or other noncombustible options as a way to avoid the most toxic part of tobacco use while aiming for eventual cessation. Simoni said many veterans and some providers do not distinguish clearly between nicotine and tobacco. Key points: - Ferrara said clinicians see long-term harms from cigarette smoking and described nicotine replacement or other noncombustible products as a bridge to full cessation. - Ferrara estimated about 30 percent of U.S. service members use tobacco products and said that rate is roughly twice the general population. - Pentagon data from 2018 reported 37.8 percent of active-duty service members had used tobacco or nicotine products, with 18.4 percent reporting cigarette smoking and 13.4 percent reporting chewing tobacco. - Simoni noted cigarettes and chewing tobacco were available on some bases while some smokeless nicotine products were not, and emphasized confusion about the difference between nicotine (addictive) and tobacco (causes cancer). Summary: Experts and advocates framed smokeless nicotine products as a potential means to reduce exposure to the most harmful aspects of combustible tobacco among service members and veterans. Undetermined at this time.