Smoking behavior and tobacco smoke intake: response of smokers to shortened cigarettes

The response of four cigarette smokers to full-length and three different types of half-length cigarettes was examined in a naturalistic laboratory environment. During daily 100-min sessions, subjects smoked ad libitum: (1)full-length (100 mm) cigarettes, (2)the distal half of cigarettes, (3)the proximal half of cigarettes, or (4)the proximal half of previously smoked cigarettes. As a group, subjects smoked 75% more half-length cigarettes than full-length cigarettes. Subjects also puffed at a higher rate (i.e., had shorter interpuff intervals) on half-length than on full-length cigarettes. Mean puff duration (sec/puff) was higher when subjects smoked the distal-half cigarettes than when they smoked the proximal-half cigarettes and subjects spent proportionately more time puffing on the distal-half cigarettes than on the other three types. Through a combination of smoking more half-length cigarettes and modifying the way they smoked half-length cigarettes, subjects maintained the same intake of smoke (as measured by expired air carbon monoxide) during sessions as when they smoked full-length cigarettes. These results demonstrate that smokers make complex adjustments in their smoking behavior in response to changes in cigarette length.