Behavioral economic demand for cigarettes and e-cigarettes: A preliminary study comparing associations with use and...

Debate has ensued over whether e-cigarettes decrease cigarette use and/or whether more stringent cigarette regulations are necessary to foster complete switching to e-cigarettes. Behavioral economic tasks can help quantify the value of tobacco products by assessing sensitivity to price on self-reported consumption. This preliminary study examined associations between demand for cigarettes and e-cigarettes and cigarette abstinence eight weeks later.

Adult cigarette smokers (N = 58) were asked to completely substitute their cigarettes with an e-cigarette (Vuse V2) for 8 weeks. Cigarette (CPT) and e-cigarette (ECPT) purchase tasks were completed at weeks 0 and 2, respectively. Demand included intensity (consumption at $0), breakpoint (price at which consumption is zero), Omax (maximum financial expenditure of the product), and α (sensitivity to cost). Kendall Tau correlations and multivariable regressions examined associations between demand, week 8 self-reported 7-day abstinence with an exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) verification on day 7, smoke-free days, e-cigarette puffs per day, and cigarettes per day between weeks 6 and 8.

CPT demand was positively correlated with cigarette use and somewhat positively correlated with e-cigarette use. In contrast, ECPT demand was only positively correlated with e-cigarette use. In regression analysis, intensity and α were most associated with cigarette and e-cigarette use.

Among cigarette smokers instructed to switch to an e-cigarette, e-cigarette demand was related to future e-cigarette use, but cigarette demand was associated with both cigarette and e-cigarette use. Results suggest that increasing the reinforcing efficacy of e-cigarettes and/or decreasing that of cigarettes may relate to increased switching behavior.