A South Carolina researcher plans a study of snus use to determine whether it encourages smokers to quit cigarettes, the Winston-Salem Journal reports.

The a year-long study by University of South Carolina Associate Professor Matthew Carpenter is part of a broader programme under the auspices of the National Cancer Institute.
The study will involve 1,250 smokers in the U.S., half of whom will be given snus or another smokeless product to see whether this triggers attempts to quit or reduce smoking, the newspaper reports. Snus use trends also will be examined. (pi)