The Role of Flavor in the Substitutability of E-cigarettes for Combustible Cigarettes Among Persistent Smokers
Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine
Summary
This between-subjects study aims to evaluate the effect of flavor on initial and sustained switching from combustible cigarettes to e-cigarettes among 210 cigarette smokers. After measuring baseline cigarette smoking rate, participants will be randomized to a six-week regimen of fruit-flavored, tobacco-flavored, or menthol-flavored e-cigarettes and be instructed to switch (versus smoking cigarettes) over a 6-week period. Flavor-associated subjective reward and the reinforcing value of flavored e-cigarettes relative to combustible cigarettes will be assessed as mechanisms.
Description
The average smoker will attempt to quit smoking at least 30 times before abstaining for 12 months or longer. These attempts typically occur over decades of smoking, carcinogen and toxicant exposure, resulting in 480,000 deaths annually. As highlighted in the Surgeon General's Report, helping smokers who cannot quit smoking switch to less harmful non-combustible nicotine-containing products, such as e-cigarettes, has the potential to reduce this health burden dramatically. Substituting e-cigarettes for combustible cigarettes might only be possible for persistent smokers if e-cigarettes are acce…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 21+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Able to communicate fluently in English (i.e. speaking, writing, and reading) 2. Male and female smokers who are \> 21 years of age and self-report smoking at least 5 cigarettes (menthol and/or non-menthol) per day for at least the last 12 months 3. 5 or more failed quit attempts and the use of smoking cessation medication on at least one prior attempt. 4. Ever use of an e-cigarette 5. Have a carbon monoxide (CO) greater than 10 ppm 6. Not using any forms of nicotine regularly other than cigarettes 7. Be willing to switch to e-cigarettes for 6 weeks and use the assigned…
Interventions
- OtherE-cigarettes
All participants are instructed to switch from smoking combustible cigarettes to using e-cigarettes for 6 weeks. Participants will receive an e-cigarette device and flavored nicotine pods according to their randomly assigned flavor.
Location
- University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania