Effects on Time to Lapse of Switching Menthol Smokers to Non-Menthol Cigarettes Prior to a Cessation
Friday, August 14, 2020
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
Kotlyar M, Shanley R,
Dufresne SR, et al.
Effects on Time to Lapse
of Switching Menthol Smokers to Non-Menthol Cigarettes Prior to a Cessation
Attempt: A Pilot Study.
[published online ahead of print, 2020 Jul 27]. Tob Control.
2020;tobaccocontrol-2020-055689. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-055689
Introduction: Menthol
smokers (particularly African-Americans) have lower cessation success rates
than non-menthol smokers. With bans being considered on characterising menthol
flavour in cigarettes, data are needed regarding how switching to non-menthol
cigarettes impacts cessation measures.
Methods: In
this randomised pilot study, African-American menthol cigarette smokers
interested in quitting smoking either continued smoking menthol cigarettes
(n=60) or switched to non-menthol cigarettes (n=62) for a 1-month period prior
to a cessation attempt. The primary endpoint was time to smoking lapse (ie,
time from quitting until any smoking). Additional endpoints included time to
smoking relapse (ie, number of days from quitting until the first of seven
consecutive smoking days) and difference between groups in subjective measures.
Results: After
attempting to quit, the non-menthol cigarette group had indications of delayed
time to lapse (HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.55 to 1.22; p=0.33) and time to relapse (HR
0.67; 95% CI 0.42 to 1.06; p=0.09), although these were not statistically
significant. Post hoc analyses suggest that observed differences were largely
due to a smaller proportion of participants in the non-menthol group relapsing
within the first day of quitting (21% vs 40%; p=0.05). Values of other measures
assessed post cessation were largely similar between groups.
Conclusions: These
data suggest that among African-American smokers, a menthol cigarette ban would
not undermine short-term cessation measures and may result in some benefits.
Future research is needed to assess longer term cessation rates and to identify
interventions to maximise cessation success in the event of a menthol ban.
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