Will Correction of Brefeldin Misperceptions Increase the Quit Rate for Smoking? An answer to this question depends upon four factors. First, the observed correlation between risk perception and willingness to try snus must reflect a causal relationship in order to produce an effect on quit rates. Only if this is true, can we expect to alter smoking cessation methods through precise information about relative risk. Second, willingness to try snus to quit smoking must be correlated to subsequent performed behavior and it usually is (Gibbons, Gerrard, & Lane, 2003). In the psychological literature of behavior change, the willingness construct, unlike intentions, is more externally focused and thereby more malleable to situational opportunities (Gibbons et al., 2003).

Thus, the cultural context in Norway and Sweden, where snus has been the most popular quit-smoking method for years (Gilljam & Galanti, 2003; Lund, 2009; Ramstr?m & Foulds, 2006), will probably facilitate willingness to develop into action. However, the situation might be different in states where experience with snus is low, such as Australia, where snus is banned, or California, where prevalence of snus use is low at the moment. Even if half of the current Australian smokers (Gartner, Jimenez-Soto, Borland, O��Connor, & Hall, 2010) and 13% of the smokers in California (Timberlake, 2009) expressed an interest in trying snus after being briefly informed about its lower harm profile than that of cigarettes, this may differ substantially from what eventually would develop into behavior.

Third, quitting cigarettes by using snus has to produce a better effect than other methods for smoking cessation. Otherwise, snus��a carcinogenic and potentially addictive drug��appears as an unnecessary option in smoking cessation. Some recent short-term randomized studies have been inconsistent as to whether snus is superior to medicinal nicotine in reducing withdrawal symptoms (Barrett, Campbell, Temporale, & Good, 2011; Kotlyar et al., 2011). However, a large survey from Norway indicated that smokers were 2.7 times more likely to have abstained from cigarettes if they had used snus rather than nicotine gum or nicotine patch. Snus was also found to be 3 times more effective than nicotine gum Batimastat in greatly reducing cigarette consumption among continuing smokers (Lund et al., 2010). Moreover, numerous observational studies from Scandinavia have shown that the experience of using snus is associated with an increased probability of being a former smoker (Furberg et al., 2008; Gilljam & Galanti, 2003; Lindstr?m, 2007; Lund, Skretting, & Lund, 2007; Lund, Tefre, Amundsen, & Nordlund, 2008; Lund et al., 2010, 2011; Ramstr?m & Foulds, 2006; Stegmayr et al., 2005; Stenbeck et al., 2009).