Nicotine-free electronic-cigarettes for smoking cessation: Occasional reinforcement during extinction.

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a scientific study that explores the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as a smoking cessation aid. The study examines the effects of occasional use of regular cigarettes during extinction, a process in which smokers are exposed to smoking-related stimuli without the nicotine hit. The study aims to determine whether this approach can prevent relapse after smoking cessation.

Key Points:

* The study used a multiple-baseline design across participants, which is useful for evaluating medication effects and determining whether the effects are due to the intervention or simply the passage of time.
* Six short-term smokers participated in the study, and they were asked to use e-cigarettes and were allowed to smoke 20% of their usual number of regular cigarettes per day during the partial reinforcement period.
* The study found that using e-cigarettes reduced the amount of smoking even after extinction.
* A single long-time smoker also participated in the study, and they were unable to maintain low rates of smoking after the experiment. However, the excessive smoking observed before the experiment was prevented.
* The study suggests that a partial reinforcement procedure (occasionally smoking cigarettes) prevented relapse after extinction without hardship in some smokers.
* The study is the first to investigate the efficacy of a partial reinforcement procedure for smoking reduction.
* The study has several limitations, including discrepancy in subjective ratings between the two experiments, limited generalizability, lack of physiological measures, inaccuracy of measurement, and the absence of e-cigarette use in the last two phases.

Main Message:
The main message of the study is that the use of e-cigarettes and occasional use of regular cigarettes during extinction may help some smokers quit smoking without experiencing relapse. However, the study has several limitations, and further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of this approach for long-term smokers. Nonetheless, the study provides a potential method for reducing smoking in long-term smokers without enforcing strict abstinence.

Fukuda M. Nicotine-free electronic-cigarettes for smoking cessation: Occasional reinforcement during extinction. Learning and Motivation. 2021;76:13. doi:10.1016/j.lmot.2021.101766