An Analysis of Spit Tobacco Callers to the
Wyoming Quitline
5th National Summit
on Smokeless and Spit Tobacco
Madison, Wisconsin
September 21, 2009
Vance Rabius, PhD
Prevalence of tobacco use in Wyoming
Prevalence of cigarette use – 22%
Prevalence of smokeless tobacco use – 9%
So almost 30% of tobacco users in Wyoming use
smokeless tobacco
It’s mostly men….
Approximately 55% of cigarette smokers are men and
Approximately 95% of smokeless tobacco users are men
Source: http://wysac.uwyo.edu/r/11.pdf
Wyoming Quitline use 2006-2009
Total call volume – 12,343
Tobacco users – 11,720 (95% of total call volume)
Cigarette smokers – 11,038 (94% of tobacco users)
Smokeless tobacco users – 682 – (6% of tobacco users)
Quitline use by age and gender
Cigarettes
Average Age by Sex of Caller
Sex
Age in years
Number
Percent
Range
Female
42.4
6826
62%
18-77
Male
42.3
4147
38%
15-82
All
39.7
10973
100%
15-82
Age in years
Number
Percent
Range
Female
37.3
59
9%
18-77
Male
38.5
621
91%
15-82
All
38.4
680
100%
15-82
Smokeless
Average Age by Sex of Caller
Sex
Quitline use by education level and duration of
tobacco use
86% of cigarette smokers users who call the Quitline have completed high
school
94% of smokeless tobacco users who call the Quitline have completed
high school
Cigarette smokers have been smoking an average of 26.2 years
Smokeless tobacco users have been using an average of 21.6 years
Preconceptions
Copenhagen
Now I went out last Sunday with my little Mary Anne
She said please stay 'till Monday and she grabbed me by the can
She laid a big one on me- surprised me with her tongue
But her surprise was waitin' there between my cheek and gum
So I went to the movies with my little Peggy Sue
I had my dip there in my lip just like I always do
She didn't know I’d been spittin’ in my Coca Cola cup
She took a great big swaller and then threw her popcorn up, Whoa!
The moral of this story is so very sad but true
If you stay 'till breakfast friend, they'll want to marry you
So try my little method and I promise you no doubt
Dip some Copenhagen if you wanna snuff 'em out
Copenhagen, what a wad of flavor
Copenhagen, you can see it in my smile
Copenhagen, do yourself a favor chew
Copenhagen, drive them pretty girls wild
Copenhagen, drive them pretty girls wild
©Robert Earl Keen 1988
Quitline use by marital status
Cigarettes
Smokeless
Number of Calls by Marital Status of Caller
Number of Calls by Marital Status of Caller
Mar Status*
Number
Percent
1
3456
32%
1. Single
2
5034
46%
3
458
4
5
Total
Description
Mar Status*
Number
Percent
1
191
28%
1. Single
2: Married
2
423
63%
2: Married
4%
3: Widowed
3
2
0%
3: Widowed
1648
15%
4: Divorced
4
53
8%
4: Divorced
302
3%
5: Separated
5
4
1%
5: Separated
10898
100%
673
100%
Total
In fact, smokeless tobacco users are more likely to be married
and less likely to be divorced or separated than cigarette smokers
Description
What drives call volume
Cigarettes
Number of Calls by How Heard about Quitline
Number
Percent
Description
53
1%
1. Earned media
880
9%
2: Paid media
8686
90%
9619
100%
3: Referrals
Total
Smokeless
Number of Calls by How Heard about Quitline
Number
Percent
Description
10
2%
146
23%
2: Paid media
487
76%
3: Referrals
643
100%
1. Earned media
Total
Concluding remarks
Approximately 30% of tobacco users in Wyoming
are smokeless tobacco users, but only 6% of
Quitline callers are smokeless tobacco users.
Contact information:
Vance Rabius, PhD
Senior Scientist
American Cancer Society
National Cancer Information Center
11701 Stonehollow Drive
Austin, TX 78758
512-997-3920 - phone
512-997-3961 - fax
vrabius@cancer.org - email