Abstract
In Part I of this study self-reported feelings of stress and arousal were assessed in 26 cigarette smokers, over a normal day of smoking. The ratings were made immediately before and immediately after the first cigarette of the day, the last cigarette of the day and at two intermittent points (12 noon and 6 p.m.). Analysis of variance revealed significant effects of smoking on both stress and arousal. Self-rated feelings of stress were significantly reduced following cigarette smoking (P<0.003) and also reduced over the course of the day (P<0.001). Cigarette smoking led to an increase in self-rated feelings of arousal (P<0.009), with a larger increase in arousal found after the first cigarette of the day (P<0.001). These results show that stress and arousal are simultaneously affected by cigarette smoking, in opposing directions. This study is the first ‘other centre’ replication of a series of studies by Parrott and confirms that stress modulation and arousal modulation should be seen as inversely related processes. A further implication of these results is that cigarette smokers smoke to alleviate the negative mood effects of acute nicotine withdrawal. Part II of this study assessed the self reported feelings of stress and arousal in smokers quitting smoking with the aid of a nicotine inhaler (treatment group, n=12) and cigarette smokers (control group, n=8), on a specified day of the week, for four weeks. Ratings were made immediately before and immediately after the self-administration of nicotine (either from the inhaler for the treatment group or from the cigarettes for the control group), at the first nicotine administration and the last nicotine administration of the day and at two intermittent points (12 noon and 6 p.m.). Self rated feelings of stress, for both groups, were significantly reduced by the self-administration of nicotine (P<0.005) and stress levels reduced over the day (P<0.001). Self rated arousal increased after self administration of nicotine (P<0.001) with a larger arousal modulation effect found after the first nicotine administration of the day (P<0.001). These results suggest that the same patterns of arousal modulation and stress modulation found in cigarette smokers are also found when quitters use a nicotine replacement aid, in the form of an inhaler. The treatment group demonstrated these mood modulation patterns immediately upon using the inhaler. This was an unexpected finding as it was expected that the treatment group would require several pairings of gaining nicotine from the inhaler and mood modulation effects and that the mood modulating effect of the nicotine inhaler would develop over the course of the study.