Behavioral Economic Assessment of Abuse Liability for Black & Mild Cigar Flavors Among Young Adults

Cigars are available in a variety of flavors that may impact uptake and use, but little is known about how different flavors affect abuse liability. This study used 3 behavioral economic tasks to examine abuse liability of Black & Mild cigars differing in flavor among young adult cigarette smokers. Participants were 25 cigar-naive young adults (aged 18-25 years) who smoked >= 5 cigarettes/day. In 5 Latin square-ordered laboratory visits, participants completed 3 abuse liability tasks (drug purchase task, cross-price purchase task, and multiple-choice procedure) for each of 4 cigar flavors (original, cream, wine, or apple) and own-brand cigarettes. In the drug purchase task, relative to own-brand cigarettes, all cigar flavors were associated with lower abuse liability using most measures (intensity, breakpoint, maximum total tobacco expenditure for 1 day [ps < .05]), although only wine-flavored cigars scored significantly lower using 1 measure (price at maximum total tobacco expenditure for 1 day). When cigars and cigarettes were available concurrently in the cross-price purchase task, all cigar flavors functioned as substitutes for cigarettes. Using the multiple-choice procedure, crossover points for wine- (mean = $0.61) and apple-flavored cigars (mean = $0.71) were significantly lower than own-brand cigarettes (mean = $0.86) and original-flavored cigars (mean = $1.00); no significant differences existed between own-brand cigarettes and original-flavored cigars. Thus, whereas abuse liability may be highest for participants' own-brand cigarette, young adult smokers may be willing to use flavored cigars. Furthermore, abuse liability varies by cigar flavor, with original- and cream-flavored cigars appearing to have the highest abuse liability. Characterizing flavors and flavor additives in cigars represent an important tobacco regulatory target.