Nicotine is the drug that makes cigarettes addictive. But smokers trying to quit will tell you that even the ritual of lighting up and inhaling can be addictive.

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Lighting Up To Quit

But there is a new approach to kicking the habit that addresses that part of the problem -- a nicotine-free cigarette.

During breaks at work, Mattie Williams said that she now reaches for a snack instead of a cigarette pack.

"I never, you know, ate snacks or anything. I just used my break to smoke," Williams said.

Williams said that she smoked for 13 years. She said that the stress of her two jobs fueled the fire.

"Right before I decided to quit, I was smoking almost two packs a day," Williams said.

Trying to quit cold turkey didn't work for Williams.

"I found myself pacing the floor. If I didn't have any (cigarettes) at home, I would be looking around to see if I left one in the ashtray or something," Williams said.

Williams enrolled in a study to compare the habit of smoking to the craving for nicotine. Participants smoked nicotine-free cigarettes. The studies showed the urge to light up can be stronger than the need for a nicotine fix.

"Most people think of craving and addiction as a craving for the drug effect per se, but it's really a craving for the whole behavior, especially with something like cigarette smoking that presents a rich context of sensory cues and habit components," researcher Jed Rose said.

Researchers said that when used with traditional nicotine replacement therapies, like patches and gum, nicotine-free cigarettes could help smokers quit for good.

The nicotine-free cigarettes are not the same as the so-called ultra-light cigarettes on the market. Those can still deliver high doses of nicotine.

The cigarettes used in the study were made with genetically modified tobacco that had no nicotine.

More Information:
Jed Rose, Ph. D.
Nicotine Research Program
2200 W. Main Street
Suite B-150
Durham, NC 27705