Effects of smoke deprivation interval on puff topography

Our purpose in this series of three studies was to determine the effects of deprivation interval on smoking topography. In experiment 1, subjects were allowed to smoke ad libitum for 1 hour after 3, 30, and 300 minutes of tobacco smoke deprivation. An increased latency to the first cigarette developed after 3 minutes deprivation and an increase in the number of cigarettes smoked occurred after 300 minutes of deprivation. In experiment 2, puff number and spacing were held constant to determine if smokers would compensate for long deprivation intervals by more intense smoking, i.e., increased puff volume. Puff volumes and carbon monoxide (CO) boosts did not differ across smoking bouts preceded by either 30, 100, or 300 minutes of tobacco smoke deprivation. In experiment 3, average puff volumes and CO boosts were examined during smoking periods with short (3, 10, and 30 minutes) deprivation intervals. Subjects smoked less intensely (lower puff volumes and CO boosts) when smoking was spaced by 3 than by 30 minutes. We conclude that smokers do not increase puff volume after long deprivation intervals up to 300 minutes, but they may decrease puff volumes after short (3 minutes) deprivation intervals when puff number and spacing cannot be used as compensatory mechanisms.