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. 2024 Jan 1:254:111042.
doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111042. Epub 2023 Dec 1.

Effect of nicotine expectancy and nicotine dose reduction on cigarette demand, withdrawal alleviation, and puff topography

Justin C Strickland  1 , Brett W Gelino  2 , Gideon P Naudé  2 , Jessica C Harbaugh  2 , Rebekah D Schlitzer  2 , Melissa Mercincavage  3 , Andrew A Strasser  4 , Matthew W Johnson  2
Affiliations

Effect of nicotine expectancy and nicotine dose reduction on cigarette demand, withdrawal alleviation, and puff topography

Justin C Strickland et al. Drug Alcohol Depend. .

Abstract

Background: Current FDA plans include proposed nicotine reduction mandates by the end of 2023. Most research on reduced nicotine cigarettes has been dose-blinded, while a mandate would be known to the public. Few laboratory studies have examined specifically how low nicotine content labeling impacts behavioral response. The purpose of this within-subject, balanced-placebo, human laboratory study was to evaluate the main and interactive effects of nicotine dose expectancy and dose reduction on cigarette reinforcement, withdrawal alleviation, and puff topography.

Methods: Participants who smoke daily (N=21; 9 female) completed one practice and four experimental sessions in which expectancy (labeled "average" versus "very low" nicotine) and nicotine dose (0.80mg versus 0.03mg yield) were manipulated. Participants in acute withdrawal sampled experimental cigarettes followed by withdrawal alleviation and puff topography measures. Cigarette demand was measured using an incentivized purchase task. Analyses evaluated main and interactive effects of expectancy and nicotine dose.

Results: Nicotine dose manipulation produced expected physiological effects (e.g., heart rate increases) and both reduced nicotine dose and expectation manipulations reduced perceived nicotine content. Expectation of reduced nicotine alone or in combination with reduced nicotine dose did not alter demand, withdrawal alleviation, or topography. Effective withdrawal alleviation was observed in all conditions.

Conclusions: These data inform nicotine regulation policy by suggesting limited compensatory harms caused by reduced nicotine expectations. The minimal acute effects of reduced nicotine expectancy or exposure on demand suggests that reduced nicotine standards are likely to generate their greatest public health benefit through the slowing of newly initiating cigarette smoking.

Keywords: Behavioral economics; Demand; Nicotine reduction; Tobacco regulation; Very low nicotine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest No conflicts of interest directly relevant to the conducted research are present. JCS has received research related funding from Canopy Growth Corporation and DynamiCare Health and consulting fees from Merck Corporation in the past three years. MWJ serves as consultant to AJNA Labs, AWAKN Life Sciences, Beckley Psytech Ltd., Clarion Clinics, Mind Medicine, Negev Capital, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, and Reunion Neurosciences, and has received research funding from Heffter Research institute, Fifth Generation, Inc., and Mydecine Innovations Group, Inc.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Effect of Nicotine Expectancy and Nicotine Dose on Perceived Nicotine Content, Heart Rate, and Breath CO.
Presented are values upon arrival (white bars), after sampling the experimentally assigned cigarette (gray bar), and at the end of the session after ad lib consumption of purchased cigarettes (black bar). Bars reflect mean with standard error of the mean. Pairwise comparisons were made using a false discovery rate correction. Top panel: letters correspond to ratings that are different by condition. Middle/bottom panels: * p < .05 compared to arrival value.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Effect of Nicotine Expectancy and Nicotine Dose on Withdrawal Alleviation.
Withdrawal data include QSU subscales (top and middle panels) and craving (bottom panel). Presented are values upon arrival (white bars), after sampling the experimentally assigned cigarette (gray bar), and at the end of the session after ad lib consumption of purchased cigarettes (black bar). Bars reflect mean with standard error of the mean. Pairwise comparisons were made using a false discovery rate correction. * p < .05 compared to arrival value.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Effect of Nicotine Expectancy and Nicotine Dose on Demand.
Presented are incentivized demand values (black bars = own brand; gray bars = full nicotine doses; white bars = reduced nicotine doses). Bars reflect mean with standard error of the mean.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.. Effect of Nicotine Expectancy and Nicotine Dose on Puff Topography.
Presented are puff topography outcomes (black bars = own brand; gray bars = full nicotine doses; white bars = reduced nicotine doses). Bars reflect mean with standard error of the mean.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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