Mouth-Level Nicotine Intake Estimates from Discarded Filter Butts to Examine Compensatory Smoking in Low Nicotine Cigarettes

Abstract

Background: A mandated reduction in the nicotine content of cigarettes could reduce smoking rate and prevalence. However, one concern is that smokers may compensate by increasing the intensity with which they smoke each cigarette to obtain more nicotine. This study assessed whether smokers engage in compensatory smoking by estimating the mouth-level nicotine intake of low nicotine cigarettes smoked during a clinical trial.Methods: Smokers were randomly assigned to receive cigarettes with one of five nicotine contents for 6 weeks. An additional group received a cigarette with the lowest nicotine content, but an increased tar yield. The obtained mouth-level nicotine intake from discarded cigarette butts for a subset of participants (51-70/ group) was estimated using solanesol as described previously. A compensation index was calculated for each group to estimate the proportion of nicotine per cigarette recovered through changes in smoking intensity.Results: There was no significant increase in smoking intensity for any of the reduced nicotine cigarettes as measured by the compensation index (an estimated 0.4% of the nicotine lost was recovered in the lowest nicotine group; 95% confidence interval, À0.1 to 1.2). There was a significant decrease in smoking intensity for very low nicotine content cigarettes with increased tar yield.Conclusions: Reductions in nicotine content did not result in compensatory changes in how intensively participants smoked research cigarettes.Impact: Combined with data from clinical trials showing a reduction in cigarettes smoked per day, these data suggest that a reduction in nicotine content is unlikely to result in increased smoke exposure.

A Low-Cost, High-Throughput Digital Image Analysis of Stain Patterns on Smoked Cigarette Filter Butts to Estimate Mainstream Smoke Exposure

“…This can be done on a per-cigarette basis or a daily-dose basis by summing results from all butts collected over a 24 h period. We have successfully used our solanesol-based approach to examine difference in deliveries and smoking behavior as a function of menthol [ 32 ], tobacco blends [ 29 , 31 ], and the use of reduced-nicotine-content cigarettes [ 34 , 35 ] for a variety of mainstream smoke constituents. However, the scanner-based method could produce comparable data while saving time and money.…”

“…Such information provides data related to smoke constituent deliveries as well as behavioral use patterns. Our laboratory successfully used this method to examine the difference in deliveries of nicotine and tobacco-specific nitrosamines [ 31 ], the influence of menthol on smoking behavior [ 32 ], differences in smoking behaviors in a clinical setting [ 33 ], and changes in smoking when cigarette nicotine content is reduced [ 34 , 35 ]. This new luminosity-based, digital-image approach is a low-cost, high-throughput method that provides comparable results to our established liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) solanesol method [ 21 , 22 ].…”

Mouth Level Intake of Nicotine from Three Brands of Little Filtered Cigars with Widely Differing Product Characteristics Among Adult Consumers

“…39,40 Mainstream solanesol exposure was analyzed as previously described. 44 Following smoking, a 1-cm portion of the spent cigar filter was removed from the mouth end, the tipping paper and paper overwrap were removed, and the bare filter was placed into a 48-well plate (Agilent, Billerica, MA) for extraction. The filter samples were spiked with 100 μL of geranylgeraniol internal standard.…”

“…The solanesol method to estimate MLI has successfully examined smoking dose patterns including the influence of menthol, 41 differences in tobacco blends, 42,43 and questions of smoking compensation for smokers' using reduced nicotine content cigarettes. 44 Compensation typically refers to smokers altering their PV, blocking ventilation holes, or increasing the number of combusted products smoked per day as a result of increases in product ventilation or other design changes that decrease the concentration of "tar" or nicotine in the mainstream smoke of a combusted tobacco product. 45,46 For the first time, we demonstrate the application of this methodology to little filtered cigars.…”

Standardised cigarettes: the next step for tobacco policy?

“…Hence one concern with switching smokers to VLNCs is whether it will result in compensatory smoking, either by puffing harder or increasing cigarette consumption. However, studies have repeatedly shown that, when current smokers switch to VLNCs, they do not increase their consumption or draw harder and their toxicant exposures do not increase 47–49. Numerous studies, including four large randomised controlled trials, have consistently found that switching current smokers to VLNCs actually reduces their cigarette consumption and dependence, even for those not interested in quitting, with minimal withdrawal symptoms 44 50–53…”