Rapid smoking: a cautionary note

Rapid smoking has proved to be a successful treatment strategy for smokers, but its hazard potential has been recently debated. The authors monitored 6 subjects throughout 8 standard sessions of rapid smoking and found heart rate, blood pressure, and carboxyhemoglobin increases to be generally higher than those reported in the few extant physiological studies of rapid smoking. More importantly, however, electrocardiogram abnormalities occurred in several individuals during rapid smoking. Pending further controlled study, the rapid smoking technique cannot be endorsed without reservation.