Effects of Cigar Flavors on Measures of Abuse Liability Among Young Adults

Virginia Commonwealth University25 enrolled

Overview

This study involves 25 current young adult combustible tobacco cigarette (CTC) smokers who will complete 5 Latin square ordered, within-subject, laboratory conditions that differ by the tobacco product smoked: 1. own-brand CTC (positive control), 2. original-flavored Black \& Mild (B\&M) cigar, 3. apple-flavored B\&M cigar, 4. cream-flavored B\&M cigar, and 5. wine-flavored B\&M cigar.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Tobacco Products

Interventions

Tobacco product administration and assessmentOTHER

two bouts of 10 puffs of a tobacco product with a 30-second interpuff interval separated by 60 minutes; preceded and followed by physiological, subjective and topography assessment

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 21 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * To be included, participants must be healthy, as determined by self-report and heart rate/blood pressure (HR/BP) check, between the ages of 18-25, and willing to provide informed consent. * They must agree to attend the lab and abstain from tobacco/nicotine as required, to use the designated products, and to follow the study protocol. * Participants must also be regular CTC smokers (≥5 cigarettes/day for past 3 months) naïve to cigar products (smoked no more than 10 cigar products of any type in lifetime) who can provide a semi-quantitative urine cotinine result of ≥3 at screening (NicAlert test). Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals with a self-reported history of chronic diseases or psychiatric conditions will be excluded. * Other exclusion criteria are: history of or active cardiovascular disease, current oral health problems or injuries, low/high BP, seizures, regular prescription medication use (other than vitamins or birth control), and past month use of cocaine, opioids, benzodiazepines, and methamphetamine (self-report). * Individuals who report using marijuana or alcohol \>20 days in the past 30 or interest in quitting CTC use within the next 30 days will also be excluded. * Women will be excluded if they are breast-feeding or test positive for pregnancy (by urinalysis) at screening.

Locations (1)

VCU Behavioral Health Research Laboratory

Richmond, Virginia, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in saliva nicotine concentration

Each participant will attend 5 study sessions, each study session will include two bouts of product administration. Product administration will consist of 10 puffs with a 30-second interpuff interval (IPI; puff number and IPI will be directed and monitored by staff).

Time frame: Saliva will be collected at baseline before the first product administration, at 10 min following each product administration, and 55 min following the first product administration (baseline for the second product administration).

Change in breakpoint from two behavioral choice tasks (Cigarette Purchase Task, Multiple Choice Procedure)

Time frame: A behavioral choice task (cigarette purchase cask) will be completed at baseline before the first product administration, 5, 15, 30, and 45 min following each bout. 45 min after the second bout, the multiple choice procedure will be administered.

Change in Addiction Research Center Inventory subjective abuse liability

Time frame: Subjective measures of abuse liability will be collected at baseline before the first product administration, 5, 15, 30, and 45 min following each bout.

Change in Direct Effects of Nicotine and Tobacco Scale subjective abuse liability

Time frame: Subjective measures of abuse liability will be collected at baseline before the first product administration, 5, 15, 30, and 45 min following each bout.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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Secondary Outcomes

Expired air carbon monoxide

Time frame: Expired air carbon monoxide measurement will occur at baseline before the first product administration, 15 minutes following each bout, 55 min following the first product administration (baseline for the second product administration).

Heart rate

Each participant will attend 5 study sessions, each study session will include two bouts of product administration.Product administration will consist of 10 puffs with a 30-second interpuff interval (IPI; puff number and IPI will be directed and monitored by staff).

Time frame: Heart rate will be recorded at one second intervals from session onset (minute zero of session) through minute 155 of the session (end of session).

Blood pressure

Each participant will attend 5 study sessions, each study session will include two bouts of product administration.Product administration will consist of 10 puffs with a 30-second interpuff interval (IPI; puff number and IPI will be directed and monitored by staff).

Time frame: Blood pressure will be recorded at 5 minute intervals from from session onset (minute zero of session) through minute 155 of the session (end of session).

Puff Volume (ml)

The instrument senses flow-induced pressure drop across an orifice that is incorporated into the mouthpiece. Each participant will attend 5 study sessions, each study session will include two bouts of product administration. Puff Volume and Puff Duration will be used to calculate measures of Puff Flow Rate (Puff Volume/Puff Duration) and Total Puff Volume (Puff Volume per puff x 10 puffs).

Time frame: Puff Volume will be measured in seconds for each puff during product administration (10 puffs with a 30-second interpuff interval directed and monitored by staff)

Puff Duration (seconds)

Time frame: Puff Duration will be measured in seconds for each puff during product administration (10 puffs with a 30-second interpuff interval directed and monitored by staff)