Inducing Low Tar/Nicotine Cigarette Smoking in Women

Summary Sixteen female smokers participated in a study of ‘safer cigarettes’ and bought their cigarettes from the experimenters at less than prevailing prices. Half received an economic incentive for purchasing cigarettes delivering progressively less tar and nicotine: the other half paid the same price regardless of brand purchased. Subjects were not required to change brands. Twelve of the sixteen subjects completed the twelve‐week study. Significant reductions in tar and nicotine intake, which persisted for more than six months beyond the twelve‐week study period, occurred in both groups. The differences between the two groups in tar and nicotine intake were not significant. A control group of seven female smokers showed little change in tar and nicotine intake over the same twelve‐week period, and only modest changes in the subsequent six months. Neither the number of cigarettes smoked nor exhaled carbon monoxide levels (measured in a subsample of participants) increased as the subjects switched to lower nicotine levels.