Abstract
Background: Recent federal legislation gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate the nicotine content of cigarettes. A nationwide strategy for progressive reduction of the nicotine content of cigarettes is a potential way to reduce the addictiveness of cigarettes, to prevent new smokers from becoming addicted, and to facilitate quitting in established smokers. We conducted a trial of progressive nicotine content tapering over 6 months to determine the effects on smoking behaviors and biomarkers of tobacco smoke exposure and cardiovascular effects. Methods: One hundred and thirty-five healthy smokers were randomly assigned 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 smoked for one month. Acontrol group smoked their own brand of cigarettes for the same period of time. Results: Nicotine intake, as indicated by plasma cotinine concentration, declined progressively as the nicotine content of cigarettes was reduced. Cigarette consumption and markers of exposure to carbon monoxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as cardiovascular biomarkers remained stable, whereas urinary 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)- 1-butanol (NNAL) excretion decreased. No significant changes in biomarkers of exposure or cardiovascular effects were observed in controls. Conclusions: Our data support the proposition that the intake of nicotine from cigarettes of smokers can be substantially lowered without increasing exposure to other tobacco smoke toxins. Impact: These findings support the feasibility and safety of gradual reduction of the nicotine content in cigarettes.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 761-769 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
- Oncology
Cite this
Smoking behavior and exposure to tobacco toxicants during 6 months of smoking progressively reduced nicotine content cigarettes. / Benowitz, Neal L.; Dains, Katherine M.; Hall, Sharon M.; Stewart, Susan; Wilson, Margaret; Dempsey, Delia; Jacob, Peyton.
In: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, Vol. 21, No. 5, 05.2012, p. 761-769.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Smoking behavior and exposure to tobacco toxicants during 6 months of smoking progressively reduced nicotine content cigarettes
AU - Benowitz, Neal L.
AU - Dains, Katherine M.
AU - Hall, Sharon M.
AU - Stewart, Susan
AU - Wilson, Margaret
AU - Dempsey, Delia
AU - Jacob, Peyton
PY - 2012/5
Y1 - 2012/5
N2 - Background: Recent federal legislation gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate the nicotine content of cigarettes. A nationwide strategy for progressive reduction of the nicotine content of cigarettes is a potential way to reduce the addictiveness of cigarettes, to prevent new smokers from becoming addicted, and to facilitate quitting in established smokers. We conducted a trial of progressive nicotine content tapering over 6 months to determine the effects on smoking behaviors and biomarkers of tobacco smoke exposure and cardiovascular effects. Methods: One hundred and thirty-five healthy smokers were randomly assigned 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 smoked for one month. Acontrol group smoked their own brand of cigarettes for the same period of time. Results: Nicotine intake, as indicated by plasma cotinine concentration, declined progressively as the nicotine content of cigarettes was reduced. Cigarette consumption and markers of exposure to carbon monoxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as cardiovascular biomarkers remained stable, whereas urinary 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)- 1-butanol (NNAL) excretion decreased. No significant changes in biomarkers of exposure or cardiovascular effects were observed in controls. Conclusions: Our data support the proposition that the intake of nicotine from cigarettes of smokers can be substantially lowered without increasing exposure to other tobacco smoke toxins. Impact: These findings support the feasibility and safety of gradual reduction of the nicotine content in cigarettes.
AB - Background: Recent federal legislation gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate the nicotine content of cigarettes. A nationwide strategy for progressive reduction of the nicotine content of cigarettes is a potential way to reduce the addictiveness of cigarettes, to prevent new smokers from becoming addicted, and to facilitate quitting in established smokers. We conducted a trial of progressive nicotine content tapering over 6 months to determine the effects on smoking behaviors and biomarkers of tobacco smoke exposure and cardiovascular effects. Methods: One hundred and thirty-five healthy smokers were randomly assigned 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 smoked for one month. Acontrol group smoked their own brand of cigarettes for the same period of time. Results: Nicotine intake, as indicated by plasma cotinine concentration, declined progressively as the nicotine content of cigarettes was reduced. Cigarette consumption and markers of exposure to carbon monoxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as cardiovascular biomarkers remained stable, whereas urinary 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)- 1-butanol (NNAL) excretion decreased. No significant changes in biomarkers of exposure or cardiovascular effects were observed in controls. Conclusions: Our data support the proposition that the intake of nicotine from cigarettes of smokers can be substantially lowered without increasing exposure to other tobacco smoke toxins. Impact: These findings support the feasibility and safety of gradual reduction of the nicotine content in cigarettes.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84862876311&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84862876311&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-11-0644
DO - 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-11-0644
M3 - Article
C2 - 22354905
AN - SCOPUS:84862876311
VL - 21
SP - 761
EP - 769
JO - Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention
JF - Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention
SN - 1055-9965
IS - 5
ER -