Study on How E-cigarette Flavors Affect Switching From Cigarettes in Persistent Smokers Randomized Trial Comparing Fruit, Tobacco, and Menthol Flavors Over Six Weeks

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how the flavor of e-cigarettes affects the ability of persistent cigarette smokers to switch from traditional combustible cigarettes to e-cigarettes. The study focuses on whether fruit-flavored e-cigarettes are more appealing and easier to switch to compared to tobacco or menthol flavors. This research addresses the public health challenge of helping smokers who struggle to quit by exploring flavors role in encouraging substitution with less harmful products. The study will randomly assign 210 cigarette smokers to use one of three flavor types of e-cigarettesfruit-flavored watermelon and blueberry, tobacco-flavored, or menthol-flavoredfor six weeks. Participants receive an e-cigarette device and nicotine pods in their assigned flavor, with supplies given weekly based on their baseline smoking habits. Before switching, their smoking rates are measured, and after a verified overnight abstinence, their responses to flavors and the value of flavored e-cigarettes compared to cigarettes are assessed in the laboratory. During the study, participants are instructed to switch fully to using the assigned e-cigarette flavor instead of cigarettes for six weeks. They will collect daily cigarette filter samples to track cigarette use. The main measure is the daily cigarette count from baseline through the six-week period, with a follow-up at six months to assess longer-term cigarette consumption. The research team will monitor participants throughout to understand how flavor influences switching behavior and its potential as a harm reduction strategy.

The Role of Flavor in the Substitutability of E-cigarettes for Combustible Cigarettes Among Persistent Smokers