About this trial
This randomized, double-blind, crossover human laboratory study compares the abuse liability of cigarettes containing menthol and non-menthol cigarette variants, using the participant's usual brand menthol cigarette as a within-subject reference. Participants complete standardized laboratory smoking sessions, behavioral economic tasks, and a naturalistic observational period. The study examines differences in nicotine delivery, smoking behavior, and subjective effects across cigarette types in laboratory and real-world contexts.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Aged 21 years or older
Currently smoke cigarettes daily (≥ 5 cigarettes/day) for at least the past 6 months, and their usual brand is menthol cigarettes
Willing to provide informed consent
Willing to abstain from all nicotine, tobacco, and smoked cannabis products for approximately 12 hours prior to each study visit
Disqualifiers
Current diagnosis of any significant lung diseases (e.g., asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis)
History of a cardiac event or episode of cardiac distress (e.g., heart attack, hospitalization for chest pain) within the past 3 months
Currently pregnant, planning to become pregnant during the study period, or currently breastfeeding
Self-reported use of any non-cigarette nicotine or tobacco product (e.g., e-cigarettes, cigars, oral nicotine products) or cannabis on more than 10 days in the past 30 days
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Biospecimen Collection
- Questionnaire Administration
- Cigarette Purchase Task
- Cross-Price Elasticity Task
- Daily Diary Surveys
- Progressive Ratio Task
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
Lead sponsor
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Collaborator