Differences in craving levels among menthol and non-menthol smokers

Nicotine craving has been documented as one of the reasons behind the inability to quit smoking. Although nicotine craving among smokers has been tested in many cue reactivity studies, however little is known about differences in craving among menthol and non-menthol smokers. A total of 656 smokers (52% male; 31% White; 69% Black, mean age = 44 yrs) who smoked daily for three years and smoked the first cigarette of the day within 30 minutes of waking were recruited and compensated for their participation. On the day of their scheduled visit, participants were asked to abstain from smoking. They were seated in a well-lit, temperature-controlled, air-purified room and were exposed to smoking cues of sight, smell and touch of their favorite brand of lit cigarette. Smokers were asked to report their smoking craving level on a scale of 0-100 before and after the cue exposure. Analyses of covariance compared menthol and non-menthol smokers' pre-post cue differences in craving, controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, number of cigarettes smoked and a measure of nicotine dependence. Craving levels were comparable across both groups before exposure. Non menthol smokers reported greater changes in post cue craving (mean difference= 7.16) compared to menthol smokers (mean difference=4.10), F (1, 643) = 4.46, p < .05. Menthol smokers reported lower levels of craving than non-menthol smokers, suggesting that they may not be at greater risk for failing to quit smoking. More research is needed to compare these two types of smokers on successful quit attempts.