Electronic Cigarettes and Reactivity to Smoking Cues

The purpose of this study is to determine whether electronic cigarettes can reduce reactivity to smoking-related cues.

Tobacco-related illness causes over 5 million deaths per year in the developed world, and most currently available smoking cessation treatments do not effectively enhance long-term cessation outcomes. Reactivity to smoking cues is one factor associated with relapse vulnerability, which is untreated by cessation aids such as NRT. Combining treatments, which ameliorate both pharmacological nicotine withdrawal and reduce smoking cue reactivity, may enhance smoking cessation success. During this study we will test whether combining NRT with non-nicotine containing electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) effectively reduces reactivity to smoking cues. The only source of nicotine participants will receive during the study will come from NRT. We will use e-cigarettes that provide no nicotine, yet may provide a similar experience to smoking as e-cigarettes taste and feel similar to a regular cigarette. However, since nicotine delivery is not associated with the act of smoking the reinforcing effects associated with smoking behavior may be reduced. Reactivity to smoking cues will be assessed using a battery of measures including: self-report, behavioral, and neuroimaging.