title: Acute effects of cigarillo smoking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cigarillo smoking likely exposes users to many of the same toxicants (e.g., nicotine, carbon monoxide [CO]) as cigarette smoking. Yet, few controlled clinical laboratory studies evaluating of the effects of cigarillos exist. This study evaluated the cardiovascular response, toxicant exposure, subjective effects, and puffing topography of a popular cigarillo brand, Black & Mild (B&M).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen B&M smokers (M ± SD = 1.9 ± 2.5 cigarillos/day for 3.4 ± 3.5 years) participated in 2 counterbalanced conditions: lit (ACTIVE) or unlit (SHAM) B&M in which they completed two 10-puff smoking bouts (30-s interpuff intervals).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma nicotine concentrations for ACTIVE increased significantly from pre-smoking (M ± SEM = 2.0 ± 0.0 ng/ml) to 5 min after Bouts 1 (5.3 ± 0.8 ng/ml) and 2 (4.9 ± 0.9 ng/ml) but did not increase above 2.0 ± 0.0 ng/ml at any timepoint for SHAM. Heart rate increased significantly from pre- to post-smoking for ACTIVE but not for SHAM. Average expired-air CO levels, collapsed across time, were 14.3 ± 0.8 ppm for ACTIVE and 4.5 ± 0.2 ppm for SHAM. Neither condition reduced symptoms of nicotine/tobacco abstinence reliably, although ratings for some measures were significantly lower for ACTIVE than for SHAM. ACTIVE, but not SHAM, produced a variety of positive effects related to product sensory characteristics (e.g., "satisfying," "pleasant"). Smoking topography did not differ across the two conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ten puffs from a B&M cigarillo deliver active doses of nicotine and considerable amounts of CO but do not suppress abstinence-induced withdrawal symptoms reliably. The nicotine delivery profile suggests that cigarillo smoking may promote nicotine/tobacco dependence and the CO exposure likely poses significant health risks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284-2018, USA. blankmd@vcu.edu
authors.forename: Melissa D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Blank
authors.forename: Aashir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nasim
authors.forename: Alton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eissenberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000097:blood; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D014768:Virginia; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine; D002248:Carbon Monoxide