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KMID : 0870520090130010028
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Journal of Korean Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
2009 Volume.13 No. 1 p.28 ~ p.33
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The Effect of Low-Nicotine Cigarette Smoking on Cravings after Smoking Cessation：A Pilot Study
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Jeong Seong-Hoon
Kim Jin-Young
Chung In-Won
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Abstract
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Objectives：Nicotine addiction is regarded as the primary obstacle to ending cigarette smoking. Given this perspective, lownicotine cigarettes were developed and marketed by tobacco industries as a healthier substitute for regular or full-flavor cigarettes. Many smokers believe that these low-nicotine cigarettes reduce cravings and withdrawal and thus help in the process of quitting smoking. However, this belief has not been substantiated by solid evidence. We tested the hypothesis that long-term low-nicotine cigarette smoking reduces cravings for cigarettes during the acute abstinence period.
Methods：Fifteen male participants were divided into two groups based on their favorite cigarettes during the past year：low-nicotine cigarettes (10 subjects) and regular cigarettes (5 subjects). All the participants gathered and stayed together in a comfortable place for the entire study period. They were instructed to abstain from smoking from 4：00 pm to 10：00 am the next day (18 hours in total). The degree of craving during that time was repeatedly measured by the Visual Analog Scale and Tobacco Craving Questionnaire. The temporal change patterns of cravings were compared between the
two groups.
Results：The degree of craving continuously increased during the entire abstinence period. The temporal change patterns were much similar between the two groups. No statistically significant difference between the two groups could be found
in any of the measurements except the baseline VAS score. We could not find any evidence that low-nicotine smoking helped to reduce craving.
Conclusion：Low-nicotine cigarettes currently marketed in Korea have no benefit in terms of reducing cravings during the acute abstinence period. Full-scale study overcoming the several limitations of this study with sufficient sample size would give sufficient counter-evidence to dispel the common myth that low-nicotine cigarettes are rational alternative to stopping smoking.
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KEYWORD
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Smoking, Nicotine, Low-nicotine cigarette, Craving, Withdrawal
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