A new study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention shows that individuals who use reduced-nicotine cigarettes do not, in fact, smoke increased amounts to make up for the lower levels of nicotine in a single cigarette. Nicotine is the main addictive property of cigarettes, making it extremely difficult for smokers to quit. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Waterloo, in Canada, and was funded by Health Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society.

The unblinded study involved 72 smokers from ages 18 to 65, who were asked to smoke cigarettes with varying amounts of nicotine for a one month period. They smoked regular cigarettes, with nicotine emission levels of 1.2 milligrams (mg) each for one week to obtain a control data set, then switched to Quest, types of reduced-nicotine cigarettes for the duration of the remaining three weeks. The nicotine content of the cigarettes reduced gradually by week, containing 0.6 mg of nicotine in week two, 0.3 mg in week three and 0.05 mg or less in week four.

Participants were requested to provide urine and breath samples, as well as answer a series of questions at the end of each week for the study. The results showed that the neither the number of cigarettes smoked nor the number of puffs taken from cigarettes by participants changed during the study. The study further found that there were no changes in the levels of carbon monoxide in participants’ breath and no difference in the amount of 1-hydroxypyrene (a carcinogen found in cigarettes) in participants’ urine.

Concerns were raised that smokers would be exposed to greater amounts of toxic chemicals in an attempt to get the most nicotine out of it. The study debunked that concern by showed that smokers do not inhale more toxic chemicals from using reduced-nicotine cigarettes than regular cigarettes.

“Smokers are unable or unwilling to compensate when there is markedly less nicotine in the cigarette and when the experience of smoking is far less rewarding,” said lead author David Hammond, associate professor in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. “As a result of the 2009 Tobacco Act, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has the mandate to reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes to negligible amounts,” he further commented.