Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
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Tobacco use among college students increased substantially during the 1990s. Better understanding of college smokers is warranted to develop interventions specific to the needs of this population. We examined sociodemographic and tobacco-use characteristics associated with self-identification as a regular smoker and intentions to quit smoking among college students who smoke cigarettes. ⋯ Students who self-identified as a regular smoker smoked more cigarettes before starting college, smoked a greater number of cigarettes the prior 30 days, smoked more cigarettes per day, and were more likely to smoke within 30 min of waking up, compared with students who were current smokers but did not consider themselves regular smokers. Females, older students, and those who had decreased the amount they smoked since coming to college were more likely to want to quit "very much." Females and students in early college years were more likely to be planning to quit before graduation, as were students who had decreased the amount they smoked since coming to college. Interventions should target students who are in their early college years, given that habits prior to college, changes in smoking habits while in college, and year in college are associated with students' self-identification as a regular smoker, desire to quit smoking, or plan to quit smoking while in college.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Pilot study on lower nitrosamine smokeless tobacco products compared with medicinal nicotine.
Smokeless tobacco (ST) products have the potential to be used as a harm reduction method for cigarette smokers. These products can deliver significantly less toxicants than cigarettes, although they are not toxicant free nor harmless. It is important to examine potential health risks and benefits of these products. ⋯ With the exception of medicinal nicotine products, low-nitrosamine ST products have the greatest potential to result in reduced toxicant exposure compared with other combustible reduced exposure products and have promise for reducing individual risk for disease. However, the population effect of marketing of such products as reduced exposure/reduced risk is unknown. The need for further research in this area and regulation of tobacco products is evident.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Treating smokers before the quit date: can nicotine patches and denicotinized cigarettes reduce cravings?
The present study investigated whether treatment with the combination of denicotinized cigarettes and 21-mg nicotine patch for 2 weeks before a designated quit date could lessen cravings for smoking, thereby helping smokers abstain from smoking. The study was a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, in 2004 and 2005. Patients included 98 adult heavy smokers (using 20 or more cigarettes/day). ⋯ Self-reported withdrawal symptoms and quit rates did not differ significantly between the groups. The use of a denicotinized cigarette combined with the nicotine patch appears to lessen cravings to smoke in the immediate postcessation period. A larger, better-powered study is needed to test if this treatment combination has merit for increasing quit rates.
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Potential reduced exposure products (PREPs) purport to lower toxicant emissions, but without clinical and long-term health outcome data, claims for reduced harm status of PREPs depend heavily on standard machine yield smoke constituent data. Two prototypes of the new carbon-filtered PREP Marlboro UltraSmooth (MUS) were investigated using both standard (FTC/ISO) and intensive (Health Canada) machine methods to measure gas/vapor- and particulate-phase smoke constituents. Basic physical design characteristics that may influence smoke constituent yields, such as ventilation, pressure drop (resistance to draw), quantity of tobacco, and quantity and type of carbon, were measured. ⋯ Particulate-phase constituents were not reduced by the carbon filter under either machine-smoking regimen. The data suggest that MUS has been designed to reduce toxic yields while preserving consumer appeal. However, MUS is less effective in reducing toxic smoke constituents when smoked under intensive conditions.
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This paper assesses rates of the 5A's (ask, advise, assess, assist, and arrange) of brief provider counseling received by Medicaid-enrolled smokers and recent quitters and the differences in receipt of counseling as a function of age, gender, race, ethnicity, and health status. A random sample telephone survey was conducted among Medicaid-enrolled smokers and recent quitters in four geographic areas in the United States. Multivariate logistic regression models estimated the relationships between demographic characteristics and delivery of the 5A's. ⋯ However, they were much less likely to provide comprehensive counseling, with fewer than 25% of patients reporting receiving any assistance with quitting (i.e., a prescription for pharmacotherapy or referral to counseling) or arrangement of a follow-up visit or phone call. Receipt of the 5A's varied as a function of health status, race, and ethnicity. Medicaid needs to (a) increase provider delivery of the full spectrum of counseling interventions recommended for smoking cessation and (b) extend provider outreach to the demographic groups that receive the lowest rates of counseling.