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Updated: May 22, 2026
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Creating Dynamic Images of Short-lived Dopamine Fluctuations with lp-ntPET: Dopamine Movies of Cigarette Smoking
Published on: August 6, 2013
Tobacco dependence among intermittent smokers
Saul Shiffman1, Stuart G Ferguson, Michael S Dunbar
1Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 130 N. Bellefield Avenue, Suite 510, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. shiffman@pitt.edu
Summary
Daily smokers show higher nicotine dependence than intermittent smokers. Among intermittent smokers, those who previously smoked daily exhibit greater dependence than those who never smoked daily.
Area of Science:
- Tobacco control research
- Addiction science
- Behavioral psychology
Background:
- Intermittent smokers (ITS) represent a growing population of tobacco users.
- Understanding nicotine dependence severity among ITS is crucial for targeted interventions.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated variations in dependence within the ITS group.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare nicotine dependence levels between daily smokers (DS) and intermittent smokers (ITS).
- To investigate differences in dependence severity between never-daily ITS (NITS) and converted ITS (CITS).
- To explore the relationship between dependence severity and smoking behavior within the ITS group.
Main Methods:
- Utilized questionnaires including the Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale (NDSS), Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM), and Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC).
- Employed Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) for real-time recording of smoking behavior over three weeks.
- Applied logistic and least squares regression to analyze differences and associations in dependence and smoking patterns.
Main Results:
- Daily smokers (DS) exhibited significantly higher nicotine dependence than intermittent smokers (ITS) across multiple measures (FTND, NDSS, WISDM).
- Converted ITS (CITS) demonstrated greater dependence than never-daily ITS (NITS).
- Within the ITS group, dependence severity correlated with smoking frequency and duration of abstinence.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms higher dependence in DS compared to ITS, and in CITS compared to NITS.
- Nicotine dependence is present in ITS, with significant variability suggesting dependence can emerge with infrequent smoking.
- Further research is needed to understand the implications for ITS' progression to daily smoking and cessation success.
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