Matthew Wilson

Aims: To investigate the relationships between tobacco dependence, biomarkers of nicotine and carcinogen exposure and biomarkers of nicotine and carcinogen exposure per cigarette in back and white smokers. Design, setting and participants: A total of 204 healthy black and white smokers were enrolled into two clinical studies. Measurement: Nicotine equivalents, 4--1-pyridyl-1-butanol and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites were measured in urine. The Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence and time to first cigarette measured tobacco dependence. Findings: Average TFC and FTND for blacks and whites were not significantly different. Urine NNAL and nicotine equivalents increased with increasing FTND in whites but did not increase in blacks, FTND and TFC were not correlated significantly with urine nicotine equivalents and carcinogen exposure in blacks. We found moderate correlations between FTND and TFC and nicotine equivalents and carcinogen exposure among whites of low dependence and non-significant correlations among whites of high dependence. Conclusion: In the United States, tobacco dependence measures were related linearly to nicotine intake and carcinogen exposure in white but not in black smokers. The relationship between dependence measures and tobacco biomarkers in black smokers regardless of level of dependence resembled highly dependent white smokers. © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.