Effects on Smoking Behavior of Switching Menthol Smokers to Non-menthol Cigarettes.
Saturday, June 19, 2021
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
Kotlyar
M, Shanley R, Dufresne SR, Corcoran GA, Okuyemi KS, Mills AM, Hatsukami DK.
Effects on Smoking
Behavior of Switching Menthol Smokers to Non-menthol Cigarettes.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2021 May 13:ntab090. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntab090. Epub ahead of
print. PMID: 33983396.
Introduction.
Bans of menthol characterizing flavor in cigarettes have been implemented in
some localities and have been proposed more broadly. One proposed benefit of
such a ban is to increase cessation rates among current menthol smokers. There
is currently relatively limited data regarding how smoking behavior changes if
menthol smokers switch to non-menthol cigarettes.
Methods.
African American menthol smokers interested in quitting smoking were randomized
to either continue smoking menthol (n=60) or switch to non-menthol cigarettes
(n=62) for one month prior to a cessation attempt. Cessation results were
reported previously; this analysis reports the results from the pre-cessation
visits at which amount smoked, exhaled carbon monoxide concentration (CO),
urinary cotinine concentrations and subjective measures were assessed.
Results.
Over the four-week study period, those switching to non-menthol (vs. continuing
to smoke menthol) cigarettes smoked fewer cigarettes per day (mean ratio: 0.86;
95% CI: 0.76, 0.98; p=0.02), reported lower withdrawal symptom severity (mean
difference -1.29; 95% CI: -2.6 to -0.01; p=0.05) and higher perceived
effectiveness of their skills for quitting smoking (mean difference 0.56; 95%
CI: 0.02 to 1.10; p=0.05). No significant differences were found between groups
in exhaled CO, urinary cotinine concentrations or most other subjective effects
including support for a ban on menthol characterizing flavor in cigarettes.
Conclusions.
These results suggest that were menthol cigarettes no longer available, those
that switch to non-menthol cigarettes would not change their smoking behavior
in a way that is likely to be more hazardous, with some indicators suggesting
that there may be some benefit.
Implications.
A ban on menthol characterizing flavor in cigarettes has been proposed as a
potential means by which to increase smoking cessation rates among current
menthol cigarette smokers. This study evaluated how African American menthol
cigarette smokers adjusted their smoking behavior after switching to
non-menthol cigarettes. Although the overall differences between groups were
modest, they were in a direction consistent with decreased smoking suggesting
that current smokers would not adjust their behavior in a way that is likely to
be more hazardous, with some indicators suggesting that there may be some
benefits.
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