Controlling puff volume without disrupting smoking topography

In studies of the behavioral and physiological effects of cigarette smoking, it is of critical importance to keep the dose of nicotine as constant as possible. This is difficult with smoking, because when the nicotine delivery of a cigarette is increased or reduced, smokers tend to compensate by modifying their smoke intake. In a laboratory study, it is relatively easy to control the number of cigarettes and the number of puffs taken, but it is more difficult to control the volume of each puff. Various procedures have been developed to control puff volume, but they have a disadvantage of disrupting the normal topography of smoking. We have developed an apparatus for delivering fixed volumes of smoke that has given consistent tar and nicotine values needed in studies of the behavioral and physiological effects of cigarette smoking. This method has the distinct advantage of allowing the subject to inhale the smoke in a normal fashion, with a draw resistance comparable to that of a cigarette. The device is inexpensive and easy to make.