Changes in puffing behavior among smokers who switched from tobacco to electronic cigarettes.
BACKGROUND
Nicotine intake from electronic cigarette (e-cigarettes) increases with user's experience. This suggests that smokers who switched from tobacco to electronic cigarettes compensate for nicotine over time to get as much nicotine as they need. One of the mechanisms by which smokers may compensate for nicotine is by modifying their puffing behavior. The aim of the study was to assess the changes in puffing behavior after switching from conventional to electronic cigarettes among regular smokers.


METHODS
Twenty smokers (11 female, aged 31±10, CPD 16±8, FTND 4±3, and exhaled CO 16±17 (mean±SD)) who were naïve to e-cigarettes participated in this study. They were asked to substitute their regular tobacco cigarettes with first generation e-cigarettes (labeled 18mg nicotine) for two weeks. Puffing topography (number of puffs, puff volume, intervals between puffs, and average puff flow rate) was measured at the initial use (baseline), as well as after one and two weeks of product use. We tested changes in puffing topography outcomes using repeated measures ANOVA.


RESULTS
We found that after one week of using e-cigarettes, participants significantly increased the average time they puffed on e-cigarettes from 2.2±0.1 (mean±SEM) to 3.1±0.3s (p<0.05). The average puff flow rate decreased from 30.6±2.3 to 25.1±1.8ml/s after one week of e-cigarette use (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data show that smokers modify their puffing behavior after switching from tobacco to electronic cigarettes by taking longer and slower puffs. The potential reason for changing puffing behavior is to compensate for less efficient nicotine delivery from e-cigarettes.
Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
Yong Hee
YH
Lee
Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Medical University of Silesia, Jagiellonska St. 4, Sosnowiec 41-200, Poland.
Michal
M
Gawron
Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA. Electronic address: maciej.goniewicz@roswellpark.org.
Maciej Lukasz
ML
Goniewicz
D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
D009538:Nicotine
Compensation; E-cigarettes; Electronic cigarettes; Nicotine; Puffing topography; Vapor