Smell, Taste of Tobacco May Ease Smoking Withdrawal

Quitters who smoked nicotine-free cigarettes felt better, study found

WEDNESDAY, April 6, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- Just the smell and taste of nicotine-free cigarettes may be enough to suppress some tobacco withdrawal symptoms, including the urge to smoke, restlessness, hunger and a craving for sweets, researchers say.

This suggests that nicotine may not be the only factor influencing withdrawal in people who are trying to quit smoking, according to investigators at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

"People who smoke find quitting difficult due to adverse reactions associated with withdrawal. Understanding which withdrawal symptoms are suppressed by nicotine and which are suppressed by other factors is critical in order to improve treatment options," researcher Thomas Eissenberg, of the university's Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, said in a prepared statement.

The study, reported in the April issue of the journal Addiction, included 13 women and 19 men, all long-time smokers, who took part in three, five-day sessions in which they smoked no cigarettes, nicotine-free cigarettes or cigarettes with nicotine. During each session, the study participants filled out questionnaires that assessed smoking urges, irritability, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, impatience, craving, insomnia, increased appetite, and cravings for sweets.

When the participants didn't smoke anything, they experienced withdrawal and felt unwell. Their condition improved somewhat when they were allowed to smoke the nicotine-free cigarettes.

The study also found that a combination of nicotine replacement and smoking-related stimuli -- such as the smell and taste of cigarettes -- helped suppress withdrawal symptoms such as increased appetite, impatience, restlessness, and problems with concentration.

Based on these findings, Eissenberg believes that factors besides nicotine "play an important role in suppressing withdrawal and may be a valuable adjunct to nicotine replacement products like the (nicotine) patch and gum."

"When smokers quit, they need nicotine replacements to suppress some withdrawal symptoms, but will likely require additional therapies -- either behavioral or pharmacological -- to help cope with urges to smoke, hunger and other withdrawal symptoms," he said.

More information

The American Cancer Society offers a guide for quitting smoking.

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