Cigarette brand switching: Relating assessment strategies to the critical issues.

Abstract

The debate regarding what occurs when people switch to low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes encompasses three research issues (i.e., risk reduction, nicotine regulation, and compensation), and each requires a different assessment strategy. Yet many studies have failed to differentiate these issues and have offered conclusions that are based on questionable inferences regarding exposure to specific smoke constituents. This article relates the various assessment strategies to the critical issues in cigarette brand switching by: (a) tracing the development of current assessment strategies and clarifying the relative strengths of mouth-level, machine-based, behavioral, and biochemical measures, (b) reviewing a variety of biochemical assessments including carbon monoxide, thiocyanate, nicotine, and cotinine, (c) examining the utility of these measures in risk reduction, nicotine regulation, and compensation studies, and (d) suggesting future directions.

Concordance of Self-Reported Abstinence and Measurement of Expired Air Carbon Monoxide in a Self-Help Smoking Cessation Treatment

“…Measured C O concentration between 0 and 500 ppm is shown immediately. In previous studies, the cut-off values used to distinguish between smokers and nonsmokers have ranged from 5 to 10 ppm (McMorrow & Foxx, 1985). In the present study a cut-off point of 10 ppm was used as in previous studies (Ossip-Klein, Bigelow, Parker, Curry, Hall, & Kirkland, 1986;Westman, Levin, & Rose, 1993).…”

The maintenance of behavioral change: The case for long-term follow-ups.

“…Sixty percent of the nonabstainers were smoking fewer cigarettes daily than in baseline, although they were smoking lower T/N cigarettes. These results argued against the nicotine regulation issue (see McMorrow & Foxx, 1983, 1985), as did the fact that three of the four participants smoking baseline or higher T/N brands were smoking above their baseline rates.…”

Evaluación de la adherencia a un tratamiento conductual para dejar de fumar: análisis de casos

“…la compensación hace referencia a una modificación de la conducta de fumar, incrementando la intensidad o el número de las inhalaciones, debido a la alteración del nivel de nicotina en sangre (McMorrow & Foxx, 1983, 1985. Terapeuta: -y mañana es posible que sean 4, y así sucesivamente, pues es un proceso gradual y cada vez necesitará más "dosis" de nicotina.…”