Nicotine Stimuli Research
A summary of the Tobacco Abstinence Sympton Supression study carried out by Department of Psychology and Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Introduction
Although not directly related to electronic cigarettes, this nicotine stimuli study is very relevant to the devices - a fact that has been highlighted by both Professor Siegel and the author of the study.
Details
The study aimed to examine the effect of smoking stimuli (i.e. the action of putting a cigarette like device to the mouth and sucking on it) on cigarette withdrawal symptons.
Conclusions
The study found that smoking stimuli alone was sufficient to suppress some symptoms of tobacco abstinence, while smoking stimuli with nicotine supressed other symptons.
Implications
Traditional nicotine cessation products have focussed entirely on the withdrawal of nicotine - but this study suggests smoking addiction is about much more than nicotine. It also suggests a reason why nicotine cessation products have such a low success rate (around seven percent when measured at six months.)
Electronic Cigarettes
The study also suggests why many smokers have been so successful in switching to the electronic cigarette - because the devices, unlike drugs and cessations aids, successfully replicate smoking stimuli.
Links