Evidence map›Paper›PMID 16042638›Full record

SynthesisAddiction (Abingdon, England)2005

The feasibility of smoking reduction: an update.

John R Hughes, Matthew J Carpenter

Registry-linked trialAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2005. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01807871 (Treatment of Smoking Lapses and Relapses), which is not on this map. Cited by 93 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
93citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT01807871 phase4completednot on this mapstarted 2013, after this paper: background citation

Treatment of Smoking Lapses and Relapses

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of VermontRan2013 to 2016Enrolled701ConditionsSmoking CessationArmsnicotine patch, experimental use, nicotine patch, labeled use
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

93 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Interventions to reduce harm from continued tobacco use.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016
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  7. Biomarkers of Nicotine and Tobacco Carcinogen Exposure in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Black Adults Receiving a Brief Smoking Reduction Intervention.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2025
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  11. Evaluating the temporal relationships between withdrawal symptoms and smoking relapse.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2019
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  19. Is delaying a quit attempt associated with less success?Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2011
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33 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

John R HughesDepartment of Psychiatry, Psychology and Family Practice, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, USA. john.hughes@uvm.edu
Matthew J Carpenter

Funding

REDUCED SMOKING TO PROMPT SMOKING CESSATIONR01DA011557 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT &ST AGRIC COLLEGE · PI HUGHES, JOHN R · 1998 to 2007
$2.7M
Research on Tobacco and Marijuana Cessation &ReductionK05DA000490 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT &ST AGRIC COLLEGE · PI HUGHES, JOHN R · 2000 to 2009
$1.4M
Interactions of cholecystokinin and mu opioid receptorsZ01DA000490 · NIDA · NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE · PI LUPICA, CARL · 2006 to 2008
$408k
Intramural NIH HHS Z01 DA000490NIDA NIH HHS DA-11557NIDA NIH HHS K05 DA000490NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA011557
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo update conclusions of a previous review of smoking reduction on the extent to which (1) smokers spontaneously reduce their smoking, (2) smokers who try to quit and fail return to smoking less, (3) smokers can substantially reduce and maintain reductions via pharmacological and behavioral treatments and (4) smokers compensate when they reduce.

methodQualitative systematic review. DATA SOURCES: Systematic computer searches and other methods. STUDY SELECTION: Published and unpublished studies of smokers not trying to stop smoking. We located 13-26 studies for each of the four aims. DATA EXTRACTION: The first author entered data with confirmation by second author. DATA SYNTHESIS: Due to the heterogeneity of methods and necessity of extensive recalculation, a meta-analysis was not feasible.

resultsFew daily smokers spontaneously reduce. Among those who try to stop smoking and relapse, some return to reduced smoking but whether they maintain this reduction is unclear. Nicotine replacement (and perhaps behavior therapies) can induce smokers not interested in quitting to make significant reductions in their smoking and maintain these over time. Some compensatory smoking occurs with reduction but significant declines in smoke exposure still occur.

conclusionsThese results indicate that reduction is feasible when aided by treatment. Whether reduction should be promoted will depend on the effect of reduction on health outcomes and future cessation.

Indexed as

Smoking PreventionAdolescentBupropionCounselingDopamine Uptake InhibitorsHarm ReductionHumansPsychotherapySmokingSmoking CessationBupropionDopamine Uptake Inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID16042638
PMCPMC1419056

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.