The research was conducted at Duke University and the Durham VA Medical Centers. The majority of smokers, about 70 percent, report wanting to quit. Half of those smokers attempt to quit each year, but only 2.5 percent of all U.S. smokers actually succeed in overcoming their dependence, according to statistics from the American Lung Association. In the analysis of 138 smokers, many subjects reported almost as much satisfaction and craving reduction from smoking cigarettes that had the nicotine removed as from smoking regular cigarettes. Interestingly, smokers who were established as more dependent were less likely to differentiate between the two types of cigarettes, compared with less dependent smokers.
More dependent smokers rely more heavily on sensory cues than do less dependent smokers.
This phenomenon may result from long-time smokers coming to associate the physical effects of nicotine with the sensation of smoking. Prolonged and intensive smoking may also lead to tolerance that blunts the effects of high levels of nicotine, thereby making the psychopharmological effects of nicotine relatively less important in maintaining smoking, they hypothesized. This study, which is published in the May 2001 issue of Nicotine and Tobacco Research, consolidated information from nine studies conducted by the investigators. Subjects were asked to rate on a scale if the cigarette they just smoked was satisfying, tasted good, made them dizzy, calmed them down, helped them concentrate, made them feel more awake, reduced their appetite, made them nauseous, decreased irritability, produced enjoyable sensations in the throat and chest and reduced cravings for cigarettes. All the smokers gave both types of cigarettes a high rating for satisfying their smoking cravings.