Superiority of a low-contrast smoking cessation method

• Published in: Addictive behaviors Vol. 9; no. 3; p. 273
• Main Author: Berecz, J M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 1984
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological; Alcohol Drinking; Caffeine - pharmacology; Ethanol - pharmacology; Female; Humans; Male; Nicotine - analysis; Nicotine - pharmacology; Patient Dropouts; Tobacco Use Disorder - physiopathology; Tobacco Use Disorder - therapy
• ISSN: 0306-4603
• DOI: 10.1016/0306-4603(84)90019-4

Methods of quitting smoking that deplete body nicotine levels without simultaneously reducing cigarette nicotine levels serve to increase the contrast between these two levels. High-contrast enhances the salience of each cigarette. In this study a low-contrast nicotine fading procedure (NiF) was compared with a high-contrast number fading treatment (NuF). With 76 persons it was found that NiF was statistically superior to NuF. It was also found that caffeine is correlated with cigarette smoking in both males and females and with alcohol intake in males. It is suggested that future smoking cessation programs be based on low-contrast methods, and that results could probably be enhanced by the elimination of caffeine and minimization of alcohol intake. A contrast theory of addiction is briefly discussed.