Abstract
Background
A large reduction in the nicotine content of cigarettes may benefit public health by reducing the rate and the prevalence of smoking. A behavioral economics framework suggests that a decrease in nicotine content may be considered an increase in the unit price of nicotine (unit price = reinforcer cost/reinforcer magnitude). Increasing the price of cigarettes (i.e., increasing reinforcer cost) would be considered an equivalent change in unit price to reducing nicotine content (i.e., reducing reinforcer magnitude).
Objectives
The goal of the present experiments was to characterize the relationship between increases in nicotine cost and decreases in nicotine dose.
Materials and methods
A rat self-administration model was used to assess this relationship across three experiments, with an emphasis on very low nicotine doses to model a potential nicotine reduction policy. Cost was manipulated via changes in the number of responses required to earn an infusion.
Results
Results show that increases in the cost of nicotine and decreases in nicotine content were not equivalent manipulations. Nicotine consumption was more sensitive to nicotine dose than to nicotine cost. Nicotine consumption was also not equivalent across a variety of cost and dose combinations forming a single unit price.
Conclusions
Results of the present studies suggest that nicotine reduction is likely to have a large impact on nicotine exposure from cigarettes.
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Acknowledgments
Thank you to Samuel Gutherz, Emily Pitzer, Elizabeth Shupe, E. Corina Andriescu, Kayla Convry, Samantha Cwalina, Dora Danko, Mackenzie Meixner, Jessica Pelland, Hangil Seo, Nicole Silva, and Marisa Wallas for their assistance in conducting the experimental sessions. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) (U54 DA031659 awarded to E.C.D.) The funding source had no other role other than financial support. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or the Food and Drug Administration. Funding for Tracy Smith was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (F31 DA037643) and the National Cancer Institute (T32 CA186783).
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Alan F. Sved and Eric C. Donny contributed equally and serve as co-senior authors.
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Smith, T.T., Rupprecht, L.E., Sved, A.F. et al. Characterizing the relationship between increases in the cost of nicotine and decreases in nicotine content in adult male rats: implications for tobacco regulation. Psychopharmacology 233, 3953–3964 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-016-4426-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-016-4426-3