Adding very low nicotine content cigarettes to nicotine replacement therapy and behavioural support increases abstinence at 6 months after the quit date
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Correspondence to: Dr Sharon Cummins
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0905, La Jolla, CA 92093-0905, USA; scummins{at}ucsd.edu
Commentary on Walker N, Howe C, Bullen C, et al. The combined effect of very low-nicotine content cigarettes, used as an adjunct to usual Quitline care (nicotine replacement therapy and behavioural support), on smoking cessation: a randomised controlled trial. Addiction 2012;107:1857–67.
Implications for practice and research
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Adding very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and behavioural support may help some smokers become abstinent.
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Use of VLNCs did not increase serious adverse health events when used with NRT.
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We cannot assume VLNCs would be as safe without NRT because there may be more compensatory smoking.
Context
There are proven interventions to help smokers quit, both behavioural (group, individual, telephone-based counselling) and pharmacological (NRT, medications).1 This study examined using VLNCs to help smokers quit. VLNCs mimic the act of smoking and are thought to address non-nicotine aspects of smoking including hand-to-mouth behaviour, smell, taste and possible addiction …
