Tobacco craving predicts lapse to smoking among adolescent smokers in cessation treatment

Previous research indicates that tobacco craving predicts relapse to smoking among adult smokers attempting to quit. We hypothesized a similar relationship between craving and lapse (any smoking following a period of abstinence) among adolescent smokers during the treatment phase of a clinical trial. A visit was considered a lapse visit if the participant reported smoking or had a carbon monoxide level of 7 ppm or greater subsequent to an abstinent visit. A total of 34 participants (mean age=14.9 years [SD=1.3]; mean cigarettes/day=18.0 [SD=7.6]; mean Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence score=6.8 [SD=1.34]; 65% female), were included in the present analysis of 167 treatment visits. Logistic regression analyses showed a positive relationship between degree of craving, measured by the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges, and lapse during smoking cessation treatment (p=.013). Additionally, linear regression analyses demonstrated a strong positive association between cigarettes smoked per day and craving scores (p