Nicotine Reduction Could Decrease Cigarettes’ Addictive Potential
Reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes could help to decrease their addiction potential among individuals who are highly vulnerable to tobacco addiction, including those with psychiatric conditions and socioeconomic disadvantages, according to a recent study.
Currently, a national policy is under consideration in the United States to reduce nicotine content of cigarettes in order to lower addiction potential.
The researchers conducted a multisite, double-blind, within-participant assessment of acute response to research cigarettes with various nicotine content levels (0.4, 2.3, 5.2, and 15.8 mg/g of tobacco) in 56 participants with affective disorders, 60 with opioid dependence, and 53 who were socioeconomically disadvantaged.
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Participants underwent a brief smoking abstinence, then were exposed to cigarettes with various nicotine doses over fourteen 2- to 4-hour sessions.
Overall, the researchers found that reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes decreased the relative reinforcing effects of smoking across the 3 populations, with the 0.4-mg/g dose chosen significantly less often than the 15.8-mg/g dose in concurrent choice testing.
“Reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes may decrease their addiction potential in populations that are highly vulnerable to tobacco addiction. Smokers with psychiatric conditions and socioeconomic disadvantage are more addicted and less likely to quit and experience greater adverse health impacts. Policies to reduce these disparities are needed; reducing the nicotine content in cigarettes should be a policy focus,” the researchers concluded.
—Michael Potts
Reference:
Higgins ST, Heil SH, Sigmon SC, et al. Addiction potential of cigarettes with reduced nicotine content in populations with psychiatric disorders and other vulnerabilities to tobacco addiction [published online August 23, 2017]. JAMA Psychiatry. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.2355.