White Augustus M, Imran Rabia, Gaitan Nicoleta, Bickel Warren, Perera Robert A, Cobb Caroline, Eissenberg Thomas, Barnes Andrew J
Virginia Commonwealth University, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, 100 W Franklin Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA, 23220.
Virginia Commonwealth University, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, 100 W Franklin Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA, 23220.
Am J Prev Med. 2025 Aug 3:108029. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2025.108029.
Flavors are a key regulatory target for tobacco products, but little is known about how flavors influence the appeal of heated tobacco products (HTPs) like IQOS for people who smoke. This study assessed differences in the substitution feasibility of menthol- and regular/tobacco-flavored IQOS for menthol cigarettes.
Unblinded two-week, parallel group randomized pilot clinical trial.
SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Thirty adults who smoked menthol cigarettes in Richmond, VA completed clinical laboratory sessions (Monday and Friday) and reported at-home tobacco consumption. Data were collected from November 2022-September 2023 and analyzed from October 2023-February 2024.
Participants were randomized to use IQOS 2.4 with Fresh Menthol (IQOS-M) or Regular Tobacco (IQOS-T) HeatSticks (1:1) during week 2 of the study in the clinical laboratory and throughout the second week while at home.
Laboratory visits involved 10-puff directed use bouts with puff topography, plasma nicotine measurement, subjective effects questionnaires, and the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace (ETM) task. The primary outcome was the cross-price elasticity (CPE) of IQOS in the ETM at the final clinical laboratory session. Electronic daily-diaries measured tobacco consumption at home.
In the ETM, the average (SD) CPE for IQOS was 0.67 (0.09) when IQOS-M and IQOS-T were available concurrently versus 0.14 (0.03) when only IQOS-T was available (p<0.05). At home, participants reduced their typical cigarette consumption by 80% when they had access to IQOS-M versus 37% with IQOS-T (p<0.05). Differences in puff topography and nicotine delivery across IQOS flavors were not significant (p's>0.05).
Access to menthol flavored HTPs is an important determinant of potential substitution for people who smoke menthol cigarettes, but may not be sufficient to promote complete substitution. Tobacco regulatory policies that restrict access to menthol-flavored HTPs could promote complete tobacco cessation, but may reduce attempts to substitute with HTPs among people who smoke menthol cigarettes.
This trial was pre-registered at www.
gov (NCT05499377).
口味是烟草产品的一个关键监管目标，但对于口味如何影响加热烟草产品（HTP）（如IQOS）对吸烟者的吸引力，人们了解甚少。本研究评估了薄荷醇口味和常规/烟草口味的IQOS替代薄荷醇香烟的可行性差异。
非盲法、为期两周的平行组随机试点临床试验。
地点/参与者：弗吉尼亚州里士满的30名吸薄荷醇香烟的成年人完成了临床实验室环节（周一和周五），并报告了在家中的烟草消费情况。数据收集于2022年11月至2023年9月，并于2023年10月至2024年2月进行分析。
在研究的第2周，参与者被随机分配在临床实验室使用带有清新薄荷醇（IQOS-M）或常规烟草（IQOS-T）加热棒的IQOS 2.4（比例为1:1），并在整个第二周在家中使用。
实验室访视包括10口有抽吸特征的定向使用环节、血浆尼古丁测量、主观效应问卷以及实验性烟草市场（ETM）任务。主要结局是在最后一次临床实验室环节中ETM里IQOS的交叉价格弹性（CPE）。电子日常日记测量在家中的烟草消费情况。
在ETM中，当IQOS-M和IQOS-T同时可用时，IQOS的平均（标准差）CPE为0.67（0.09），而仅IQOS-T可用时为0.14（0.03）（p<0.05）。在家中，能够使用IQOS-M时，参与者将其典型香烟消费量减少了80%，而使用IQOS-T时减少了37%（p<0.05）。不同IQOS口味在抽吸特征和尼古丁递送方面的差异不显著（p>0.05）。
获得薄荷醇口味的加热烟草产品是吸薄荷醇香烟者潜在替代的一个重要决定因素，但可能不足以促进完全替代。限制获得薄荷醇口味加热烟草产品的烟草监管政策可能会促进完全戒烟，但可能会减少吸薄荷醇香烟者尝试用加热烟草产品替代的情况。
