Use of smokeless tobacco among conscripts: a cross-sectional study of Norwegian army conscripts

In a cross-sectional study of 2,112 Norwegian army conscripts ages 18 to 25 years, 10% reported daily use of wet snuff, while 23% were occasional users. Nearly half of the snuff users had started or increased their consumption during the military service. Cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and having a best friend using snuff were positively correlated with starting to use snuff. Daily use was associated with high physical activity. Use of snuff did not vary significantly with length of education when adjusting for other variables. Nearly all subjects believed prolonged snuff use to be a hazard to health. Forty percent of the snuff users believed they would give up snuff after the military service. Giving up during the service was statistically associated with having a steady relationship with a girlfriend and with length of time served. The relatively high percentage of occasional users and the high rate of stopping and starting reflect the novelty of snuff use among Norwegian youth. The widespread intention to give up seems to indicate that a large proportion of snuff users have ambivalent attitudes toward their own behavior. Therefore, future intervention measures in the armed forces could have a substantial impact on young males' use of smokeless tobacco.