# TOBACCO YIELD CHANGES:  BEHAVIORAL AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECT

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 1987 · $97,003

## Abstract

The health risks of cigarette smoking including cancer and cardiovascular
disease may be diminished with reduced exposure to various tobacco
constituents.  Switching to cigarettes with lower tar and nicotine yield
may be one way to reduce exposure.  However, if smokers tend to compensate
for lowered constituent yields by altering their smoking behavior, then
these health benefits may not be realized.  The purpose of this project is
to determine how smokers adjust their smoking behavior and biological
exposure levels when they switch to cigarettes with different yield
characteristics.

A comprehensive analysis is proposed in which measures of smoking behavior
and biological exposure will be simultaneously collected during the initial
2 - 3 weeks of smoking altered cigarette brands.  Measures include:
tobacco consumption during smoking in the natural environment, smoking
style (number and volume of puffs) and inhalation characteristics evaluated
during laboratory assessment of smoking behavior, biological levels of both
gaseous and particulate tobacco constituents, and subjective responses to
altered cigarette types.  Simultaneous assessment of behavioral and
biological measures of smoking will provide objective information about
tobacco exposure levels and allow identification of the behavioral
adjustments which may occur when cigarette constituent yields are altered.
Three specific studies are proposed which will 1) examine behavioral and
biological effects of an abrupt 10-fold reduction in the nicotine yield of
smoked cigarettes; 2) compare measures of smoking in subjects who have
switched abruptly versus gradually to very low yield cigarettes; and 3)
examine the effects of a 2-fold increase in tobacco yield exposure.

These studies will provide detailed information concerning the magnitude
and time course of changes in smoking behavior and exposure levels which
occur when smokers change cigarette brands.  The information gained will
improve our understanding of the impact on health risks which can be
expected when smokers switch to cigarettes with different constituent
yields.  Thus, the studies are relevant to cancer control policies which
seek methods for reducing the health risks associated with cigarette
smoking.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3175539
- **Project number:** 5R01CA037736-04
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** FTMTDMBR29C7
- **Principal Investigator:** Maxine L Stitzer
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $97,003
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1984-04-01 → 1988-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3175539

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3175539, TOBACCO YIELD CHANGES:  BEHAVIORAL AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECT (5R01CA037736-04). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3175539. Licensed CC0.

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