Switching to very low-nicotine-content cigarettes (VLNCCs) caused substantial smoking reduction among intermittent smokers (ITS) but did not significantly increase abstinence, according to a recent study. Response to a VLNCC intervention suggests that nicotine-seeking motivates ITS’ smoking. This randomized double-blind clinical trial was conducted from June 2015 to July 2017 at a single US site. Volunteer ITS not planning to quit were recruited via media. Overall, 297 individuals enrolled, and 238 were randomized. The mean (SD) age of the randomized participants was 37.9 (13.8) years; of total participants, 108 (45%) were men. Researchers found:

• At baseline, the mean (SD) cigarettes per day (CPD) was 3.1 (2.9).
• In intent-to-treat analyses using multiple imputation to address missing data, the VLNCC group had a mean decrease of 1.6 CPD vs 0.05 decrease with normal-nicotine-content cigarettes (NNCCs).
• Treatment group differences were not materially moderated by sex, race/ethnicity, or history of daily smoking.
• Cheating with conventional cigarettes, inferred from cotinine assays, was more common in the VLNCC group, but sensitivity analyses showed significant VLNCC effects among the compliant participants as well.