E-Cig flavor showdown: do menthol and tobacco hook smokers differently?
NCT ID NCT05971823
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at how different e-cigarette flavors and nicotine levels influence addiction potential in 32 adult smokers. Participants tried tobacco-flavored e-cigs with varying nicotine strength, menthol e-cigs, and their own cigarettes, then reported how much they'd be willing to pay and use each product. The goal is to understand which product features make smoking more or less addictive, helping guide future regulations.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- electronic cigarette with varying flavors and nicotine levels
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help regulators understand which e-cigarette flavors and nicotine strengths are less addictive, potentially guiding policies to reduce smoking harm.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed lab study with only 32 participants, so results may not apply to real-world use or larger populations. It measures hypothetical choices, not actual long-term behavior.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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32 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2023
- Finished
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Jul 2024
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * healthy (determined by self-report) * at least 18 years old * willing to provide informed consent * able to attend the lab and use designated products according to the study protocol * smoke cigarettes at least 3 days per week, and on those days, at least one cigarette is smoked per day * positive urine cotinine test Exclusion Criteria: * Women who are breastfeeding or test positive for pregnancy (by urinalysis) at screening. * Individuals with the following self-reported current, diagnosed medical condition(s) will be excluded automatically: uncontrolled high blood pressure (via self-report or observed at screening; BP must be less than 160/100), heart-related conditions (e.g., recent heart attack/stroke, coronary heart disease), severe immune system disorders (e.g., HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis), respiratory disorders (e.g., COPD, asthma), kidney diseases, liver diseases (e.g., cirrhosis), or seizures. * Individuals with other self-reported current, diagnosed medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, thyroid disease, lyme disease) will be considered for exclusion after consultation with the PI and medical monitor. We ask a variety of questions about participants' medical conditions that are not necessarily exclusionary to be able to consult with the medical monitor about these conditions. Participants with any medical condition/medication that may affect participant safety, study outcomes, or biomarker data will be excluded based on these consultations. * Individuals with current, diagnosed, uncontrolled psychiatric conditions will be excluded. A controlled psychiatric illness is defined as one where the individual is taking medication and/or receiving other treatment (e.g., psychotherapy). In addition, individuals who have been to the ER and/or been hospitalized for a psychiatric condition in the past year will be excluded. Individuals with past-month use of cocaine, opioids, benzodiazepines, and methamphetamine or other illegal substances (other than cannabis) will be excluded. Individuals who report using cannabis more than 15 days in the past 30 and/or alcohol more than 25 days in the past 30 days will be excluded. * Participants who choose not to answer questions related to inclusion/exclusion criteria will be excluded. * Participants who indicate their sex assigned at birth is female will be excluded if they are breastfeeding or test positive for pregnancy (by urinalysis) at screening.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Center for the Study of Tobacco Products
Richmond, Virginia, 23220, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.