The impact of flavoring on the rewarding and reinforcing value of e-cigarettes with nicotine among young adult smokers

Introduction:
This text provides an in-depth analysis of a scientific study examining the impact of flavoring on the rewarding and reinforcing value of e-cigarettes with nicotine among young adult smokers. The study employs a within-subjects design to assess the subjective rewarding value, relative reinforcing value, and absolute reinforcing value of flavored and unflavored e-cigarettes with nicotine.

Key Points:

* The study involved 32 young adult smokers who participated in three human laboratory sessions.
* The first session evaluated the rewarding value of flavoring by having participants rate unflavored and flavored e-cigarettes with nicotine.
* The second session assessed the relative reinforcing value of a flavored vs unflavored e-cigarette via a choice task.
* The third session measured the absolute reinforcing value of flavored versus unflavored e-cigarettes via a 90-min ad-libitum vaping session.
* The results indicated that subjective reward value was higher for the flavored versus the unflavored e-cigarette.
* Participants worked harder for flavored e-cigarette puffs versus unflavored e-cigarette puffs.
* Participants took twice as many flavored puffs than unflavored e-cigarette puffs.

Main Message:
The main message of this study is that flavoring enhances the rewarding and reinforcing value of e-cigarettes with nicotine, and thus their abuse liability in young adult smokers. These findings suggest that flavoring may underlie e-cigarette uptake in this population, fostering the dual use of e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes. Further research is necessary to determine whether the use of flavoring in e-cigarettes impacts cigarette smoking behavior among young adults. as an expert in regulatory matters, these findings highlight the importance of considering the potential public health implications of flavoring in e-cigarettes and the need for further research to inform regulatory decisions.

audrain-McGovern, Janet, andrew a. Strasser, and E. Paul Wileyto. “The Impact of Flavoring on the Rewarding and Reinforcing Value of E-Cigarettes with Nicotine among Young adult Smokers.” Drug and alcohol Dependence 166 (September 2016): 263–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.06.030.