Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
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Smoking cannabis may potentially increase exposure to numerous toxic chemicals that are commonly associated with tobacco use. There is a paucity of data related to toxicant exposures among concurrent users of tobacco and cannabis (co-users). ⋯ With disproportionately greater rates of cannabis use occurring among tobacco users, it is critical to consider how concurrent cannabis use may influence health-related outcomes among smokers. Our findings suggest potential additive toxicant exposures among co-users of tobacco and cannabis. Lack of consideration and measurement of cannabis use in assessing tobacco-related exposures may confound estimates thought to be attributable to tobacco, particularly for non-specific biomarkers. Assessing tobacco and cannabis use in tandem will allow for more precise measurement of outcomes related to one or both substances, and can provide additional information on potential health effects related to co-use.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Smoking Topography Characteristics During a 6-Week Trial of Very Low Nicotine Content Cigarettes in Smokers With Serious Mental Illness.
A nicotine-reduction policy could have major benefits for smokers with serious mental illness (SMI). However, potential unintended consequences, such as compensatory smoking, should be considered to ensure that such a policy does not negatively affect this population. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to examine the impact of smoking very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes for 6 weeks on smoking topography characteristics, indicators of compensatory smoking, among smokers with SMI. ⋯ Given the high smoking rates among people with SMI, understanding how a nicotine-reduction policy may affect this population is critically important. When considering the smoking topography results as a whole, smokers with SMI did not engage in compensatory smoking behavior when using VLNC cigarettes during a 6-week trial. Study findings suggest that compensatory smoking is not likely to occur among smokers with SMI if nicotine content is lowered to minimally addictive levels.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Five-Day Changes in Biomarkers of Exposure Among Adult Smokers After Completely Switching From Combustible Cigarettes to a Nicotine-Salt Pod System.
This study examined changes in biomarkers of exposure (BoE) after 5 days of nicotine-salt pod system (NSPS) use, compared with continuation of usual-cigarette smoking and cigarette abstinence, among adult combustible cigarette smokers. ⋯ The results of this study concorded with evidence that complete switching from combustible cigarettes to tobacco and nontobacco-flavored vapor products may reduce exposure to key carcinogens and other toxicants known to be associated with tobacco-related diseases. Future research is needed to assess the long-term health effects of NSPS use. These results should not be interpreted to mean that the use of NSPS is without any risk, particularly for nonusers of tobacco products.
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Despite increasing use of cannabis, it is unclear how cannabis use is related to cigarette transitions. This study examined cannabis use and smoking initiation, persistence, and relapse over 1 year among a nationally representative sample of US adults. ⋯ As cannabis use increases in the United States and other countries, an evaluation of the relationships of cannabis use to other health-related behaviors (eg, cigarette smoking) is needed to understand the population-level impact of legalization. Little is known about associations between cannabis use and cigarette smoking transitions (1) using recent longitudinal data, (2) among adults, and (3) examining transitions other than smoking initiation (eg, smoking relapse). Our results suggest that among US adults, cannabis use was associated with increased cigarette smoking initiation among never-smokers, decreased cigarette smoking cessation among current smokers, and increased cigarette smoking relapse among former smokers.