Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Age Moderates Smokers' Subjective Response to Very-Low Nicotine Content Cigarettes: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Reducing the level of nicotine in cigarettes is a regulatory strategy that has the potential to greatly improve public health. If nicotine levels are reduced in all commercially available cigarettes, current smokers might find it easier to quit and young people might be less likely to become dependent. However, it is not yet known whether age moderates subjective or behavioral responses to low-nicotine cigarettes. ⋯ As the FDA considers reducing the level of nicotine in cigarettes to make them less addictive, understanding the potential impact of this policy on young people is of crucial importance. We found that young adults had significantly lower positive subjective effects to very-low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes and smoked fewer VLNC cigarettes than older adults after 2 weeks of use, indicating that this policy may reduce smoking reinforcement more quickly in young adults. These data add to the growing body of evidence on the potential for this policy to positively affect public health.