The Effects of Immediate vs Gradual Reduction in Nicotine Content of Cigarettes on Smoking Behavior: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.

Background: In recent years, much research has examined the effects of various interventions and treatments for smoking cessation. The results suggest that interventions targeting changes of nicotine content can help smokers reduce tobacco use or quit smoking. A number of clinical studies show that smokers who received an immediate reduction in nicotine content to very low levels have significantly greater reductions in the number of cigarettes smoked and toxic substance exposure compared to those with gradual reductions. However, from the perspective of smoking craving, whether the immediate and gradual reduction in nicotine content reduce smoking by reducing cravings needs further investigation. Methods: 74 eligible Participants were randomly allocated to one of the two experimental conditions: (1) immediate reduction to 0.1 mg of nicotine per cigarette ( Results: Among the 52 participants [51 (98.1%) men; mean (SD) age, 33.44 (6.71) years; mean (SD) CPD, 16.83 (9.94)] who completed the trial, significantly lower cravings for cigarettes were observed in the immediate ( Conclusions: The significantly lower cravings were observed in the immediate vs. gradual nicotine reduction group, and led to faster reduction in the number of CPD, and a significant increase in the number of cigarette-free days. These findings add to the evidence base for reduced nicotine content in cigarettes. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: ChiCTR2100048216.