Study: oral nicotine pouches do little to curb craving | OSUCCC – James скачать в хорошем качестве

Study: oral nicotine pouches do little to curb craving | OSUCCC – James

Oral nicotine pouches, a tobacco-leaf-free product marketed as an alternative to cigarettes, do little to curb current smokers’ nicotine cravings, according to a new study. Public health scientists with The Center for Tobacco Research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute report these findings in the medical journal Addiction. Nicotine pouches are small pre-portioned bags filled with nicotine powder, flavorings, artificial sweeteners and other chemicals that extend shelf life. Marketed as a smoke-free, tobacco-free alternative to cigarettes, these products have become increasingly popular since entering the consumer market in 2016. Lead author Brittney Keller-Hamilton, PhD, says these products are appealing to current smokers because they contain fewer known carcinogens and toxins than other tobacco products and can be used indoors where smoking is banned. Researchers are concerned, however, that if not formulated and regulated very intentionally, these products could result in an increase of nicotine product use among young people rather than reducing cancer risk among smokers. For the current study, researchers evaluated whether nicotine pouches with different levels of nicotine concentration were more or less appealing to smokers. They found that current smokers had a much greater spike of nicotine in their blood levels and much sharper relief from craving symptoms when smoking than when using both the low- and higher-dose nicotine pouches. That spike of nicotine measurable in the blood occurs about five minutes after smoking, explained Keller-Hamilton. With nicotine pouches, it is a much more gradual process like other smokeless tobacco products – and it typically takes 30 minutes to an hour to hit peak effectiveness – meaning that feeling of relief from craving symptoms. The same is true for the decline in nicotine levels – it is a much more gradual decline as well for oral pouches. Because of this, she says, it is reasonable to see how the craving for instant gratification of cigarette smoking is more appealing than oral nicotine pouches for individuals who are already experiencing nicotine addiction. “Our challenge is to approach regulation of nicotine pouches to limit their appeal among young people while making them more appealing to adult smokers who would see health benefits by switching from cigarettes – which have the most severe health impacts with long-term use – to nicotine pouches,” said Keller-Hamilton. #nicotine #NicotinePouches #QuitSmoking