1. Effect of reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes on cigarette smoking behavior and tobacco smoke toxicant exposure: 2‐year follow up
- Author
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Benowitz, Neal L, Nardone, Natalie, Dains, Katherine M, Hall, Sharon M, Stewart, Susan, Dempsey, Delia, and Jacob, Peyton
- Subjects
Clinical and Health Psychology ,Psychology ,Clinical Research ,Prevention ,Tobacco Smoke and Health ,Drug Abuse (NIDA only) ,Tobacco ,Brain Disorders ,Cancer ,Substance Misuse ,3.1 Primary prevention interventions to modify behaviours or promote wellbeing ,Prevention of disease and conditions ,and promotion of well-being ,Cardiovascular ,Good Health and Well Being ,Adult ,Breath Tests ,Carbon Monoxide ,Cotinine ,Female ,Humans ,Male ,Nicotine ,Nicotinic Agonists ,Smoke ,Smoking ,Smoking Cessation ,Nicotiana ,Tobacco Products ,Tobacco Use Disorder ,Addiction ,biomarkers ,cigarette smoking ,cotinine ,drug dependence ,nicotine ,reduction ,Medical and Health Sciences ,Psychology and Cognitive Sciences ,Substance Abuse ,Public health ,Clinical and health psychology - Abstract
Background and aimsA broadly mandated reduction of the nicotine content (RNC) of cigarettes has been proposed in the United States to reduce the addictiveness of cigarettes, to prevent new smokers from becoming addicted and to facilitate quitting in established smokers. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether following 7 months of smoking very low nicotine content cigarettes (VLNC), and then returning to their own cigarettes, smokers would demonstrate persistently reduced nicotine intake compared with baseline or quit smoking.MethodsIn a community-based clinic 135 smokers not interested in quitting were randomized to one of two groups. A research group smoked their usual brand of cigarettes, followed by five types of research cigarettes with progressively lower nicotine content, each for 1 month, followed by 6 months at the lowest nicotine level (0.5 mg/cigarette) (53 subjects) and then 12 months with no intervention (30 subjects completed). A control group smoked their usual brand for the same period of time (50 subjects at 6 months, 38 completed). Smoking behavior, biomarkers of nicotine intake and smoke toxicant exposure were measured.ResultsAfter 7 months smoking VLNC, nicotine intake remained below baseline (plasma cotinine 149 versus 250 ng/ml, P
- Published
- 2015