They found no withdrawal symptoms among the very lightest smokers (i.e., 1�C3 cigarettes/day), whereas those who smoked 4�C5 cigarettes/day had subjective symptoms but not objective signs of nicotine withdrawal after 24 hr of tobacco abstinence. Reitzel et al. newsletter subscribe analyzed data from a clinical trial of telephone counseling for Hispanic/Latino smokers. In this group, lighter smokers reported less nicotine dependence and less craving when they tried to quit, but contrary to expectations, they did not have lower levels of other nicotine withdrawal symptoms and were no more likely to succeed in quitting than heavier smokers. Health effects and heritability Korhonen, Broms, Leval?hti, Koskenvou, and Kaprio studied the heritability of intermittent smoking using data from a cohort study of Finnish adult twins.
They found substantial heritability for the specific phenotype of intermittent smoking as distinct from regular smoking or never smoking. An et al. investigated whether very low levels of tobacco use in young adults produced symptoms in the short term. Using data from an Internet survey of college students, they found that smokers who smoked only 5 days/month had a higher occurrence of shortness of breath with regular activities compared with nonsmokers. Future research for the road less traveled The papers in this special issue represent a start, but the work is just beginning. Additional research areas ripe for exploration include the following: Develop consensus on acceptable definitions of light and intermittent smoking and determine how to measure light and intermittent smoking.
A number of definitions are used in this special issue, and the existing variance calls for a clear rationale for various cutpoints. Conduct within-group analyses to better understand light or intermittent smokers. Reassess the applicability of the theories of smoking, addiction, quitting, and treatment modalities to light and intermittent smokers. Increase our understanding of the process of smoking and quitting among light and intermittent smokers. Coordinate global surveillance of consumption patterns to better understand the nuances of the tobacco pandemic. Reexamine eligibility criteria for smoking cessation trials. Adult cessation interventions tend to enroll individuals smoking more than 10 cigarettes/day, and eligibility criteria for trials of medications often have even higher minimum levels of daily cigarette consumption.
These factors impede our ability to understand how effective medications are for light smokers and our ability to understand how to help these smokers quit smoking. Furthermore, many researchers have aired concerns about recruitment of minorities into trials, when in fact many minorities are not eligible because Batimastat of their consumption level.