AIRWAY SENSORY REPLACEMENT AS A TREATMENT FOR SMOKING CESSATION

Although nicotine may be a necessary component of the smoking addictio n, it is obvious even to the non-expert that there is far more to smok ing than the delivery of nicotine alone. Among the many aspects of smo king that smokers find pleasurable, 60% of smokers report liking of th e feeling of cigarette smoke in the throat and chest. This paper summa rizes several studies that strongly suggest that the airway sensations of smoking are important for at least the short-term satisfaction and craving reduction of cigarette smoking, and that these sensations can be reproduced by several other substances than cigarette smoke. Airwa y sensory replacement, especially in combination with nicotine replace ment, may fill one of the many gaps that currently exist in smoking ce ssation treatment. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.