A Controlled Puffing Procedure for Individuals Who Smoke Intermittently: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND: For individuals who smoke cigarette daily, there is published guidance on standardizing smoke exposure in the laboratory; however, we lack such a procedure for individuals who smoke cigarettes intermittently (ITS). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to pilot a standardized cigarette self-administration procedure for ITS (i.e., 4 to 27 days per month) and evaluate associated changes in withdrawal, craving, and motivation for smoking cessation. METHODS: Twenty-seven adult ITS completed two counterbalanced appointments: one involving typical self-administration (ad lib smoking) and another involving standardized self-administration (prescribed timing and number of puffs). RESULTS: The standardized puffing procedure appeared feasible; however, could not be verified using objective puff topography data. There were no significant differences between conditions on craving or withdrawal reduction, cigarette evaluation, or beliefs or motivations pertaining to smoking cessation. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluated controlled self-administration procedure is a tool to standardize smoking exposure among ITS, without substantially altering craving, withdrawal, or smoking cessation-related variables. The procedure could be used in future research to better understand ITS smoking response and associated predictors with a fixed amount of smoke exposure.