Qualitative Study on Nicotine: Knowledge, Beliefs, and Perceptions

I NTERNAL-DRAFT-DELIBERATIVE

OMB No. Exp. Date:

Qualitative Study on Nicotine: Knowledge, Beliefs, and Misperceptions

Moderator Guide

6.16.14

Research Questions

1. What do people know and believe about what it means to be addicted to cigarettes and other tobacco products?

2. What do people know and believe about nicotine and its role in addiction?

3. What do people know about the relationship between nicotine and tobacco products?

4. Where do people get information about nicotine?

General Probes – Apply throughout:

• Clarification between nicotine and cigarettes: Is it nicotine that does this or cigarettes/something else in cigarettes?

• Knowledge/information source: How do you know this? Where did you get this information?

Introduction (ground rules) and Warm-up [7 minutes]

What would you be doing if you weren’t here?

Part I: Addiction [20 Minutes]

1. What is addiction?

2. What do you know about addiction to cigarettes?

Probes:

• What does it mean to be addicted to cigarettes?

• How long does it take to become addicted to cigarettes?

• How does the amount of cigarettes you smoke and the frequency of use relate to how long it takes to become addicted?

• What does it feel like when smokers try to quit? (Probe for withdrawal symptoms, cravings, and behavioral and social components that they miss.)

3. What causes addiction to cigarettes?

• Is there something in cigarettes that makes them addictive?

• If nicotine is mentioned: What is it that keeps you smoking? Do you think it’s the nicotine—or something else in cigarettes, or is it the act of smoking? Or something else?

4. How does addiction to cigarettes compare to being addicted to other things?

• What about other tobacco products—can you be addicted to other tobacco products? Why or why not?

• What about other substances (drugs, alcohol)?

• What about other behaviors like gambling?

Part II: Nicotine Knowledge & Beliefs [15 minutes]

[Transition: If “nicotine” was mentioned in Part I, reference that to transition…]

1. Now we’re going to talk a little more about nicotine specifically. First, what is nicotine? What do you know about it?

2. Where does nicotine come from?

3. What, if anything, does it do to the body? What, if anything, does it do to the brain?

{Topics we expect to hear about include: withdrawal, satisfaction/buzz; health effects}

• Does it affect how people feel physically or emotionally? Does it affect their health?

• Does it affect everyone the same way?

Part III: Nicotine and Tobacco Products and NRT [40 minutes]

Now we’re going to talk about other tobacco products, so let’s start by making a list of the different types of tobacco products you know about. These don’t have to be things you use or have even tried—just any tobacco product you know about.

[List of products named on white board; refer to this list for ensuing discussion.]

1. Do all tobacco products have nicotine? Does a person get the same amount of nicotine from using these different products—or does it differ?

• Can you tell how much nicotine is in a product? If so, how?

• (Tobacco users only: Do you know how much nicotine you consume or how much is in the brand of product you use?)

2. Do you know of any products that are lower in nicotine than regular/typical cigarettes? What are they like?

• (Tobacco users only: Have you tried any lower nicotine products? If yes, which ones? How did you choose which product to use?)

• If a product is lower in nicotine, what does that mean? (Does it affect the body the same way as regular/typical cigarettes?)

  • Is a low nicotine product safer for you than the same product with more nicotine? Why?

3. What other products have nicotine in them? (NRT)

[If NRT products are mentioned, reference as you transition…]

Ok, let’s talk a little bit more about products like the patch, or gum (these products are sometimes referred to as “Nicotine Replacement Therapy” or NRT).

4. How are these products the same or different from cigarettes?

• How does the nicotine in these products compare with nicotine from cigarettes? Does it affect how people feel in the same way? Does it affect the body in the same way?

• (Tobacco users only: Have you tried any type of NRT? How did you choose which product to use?)

False close [3 minutes]

[Check back room for any additional or follow-up questions]

Conclusion and Debrief [5 minutes]

I would like to thank you for coming here today and participating in this discussion. This research was sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration also known as the FDA. FDA would like to thank you for sharing your opinions as they will be very useful in helping them to understand people’s reactions and thoughts about the tobacco products we have talked about. The FDA wants you to know that there is no safe tobacco product. Here is a pamphlet with information from FDA on how users can quit. Feel free to share this pamphlet with tobacco users you might know.