Standardized research electronic cigarette acceptability among adult men and women who smoke combustible cigarettes

The U.S. electronic cigarette marketplace is diverse and has evolved rapidly. To provide a standardized research model, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse developed the Standard Research E-Cigarette (SREC). This study characterized potential gender differences in product use, acceptability, reinforcement, and nicotine dependence symptoms when switching from combustible cigarettes (CCs) to nicotine and placebo SRECs.

In total, 169 adults (82 women) who smoke were enrolled in this all-remote randomized double-blind crossover trial. During Weeks 1-2, participants used their usual brand cigarettes (UBCs). During Weeks 3-4 and 5-6, they were instructed to use the tobacco-flavored SREC (either nicotine [SREC-NIC] or placebo [SREC-PLA]) in a counterbalanced order between subjects whenever they had the urge to smoke.

Participants reported smoking fewer CCs during the SREC phases compared to the UBC phase, but this did not differ between the SREC-NIC and SREC-PLA phases. The levels of urine nicotine and its metabolites were similar between the SREC-NIC and UBC phases but lower during the SRE-PLA phase. The SREC products were perceived as being less risky and were associated with a reduction in cigarette dependence and the reinforcing value of CCs. Daily measures of symptoms indicated that the SREC-PLA led to greater withdrawal and craving than the UBCs. None of these findings differed by gender.

These findings suggest that both adult men and women who smoke show similar responses to the National Institute on Drug Abuse SRECs in terms of product switching behavior and human abuse potential. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).