N-Acetylcysteine and Smoking Reduction

Inclusion criteria

• Be smokers motivated to reduce their cigarette usage but not seeking treatment to quit smoking at the time of screening.
• Be Able to give written informed consent after being presented with an IRB-approved informed consent document
• Be male or female of any race, between eighteen and sixty five years of age.
• Be in stable physical and mental health as judged by interview
• Be smoking 10 or more cigarettes per day for one or more years
• Have an expired CO reading of ≥10 parts/million prior to beginning study
• Test non-pregnant and use adequate birth control (female only). All female subjects will have a urine pregnancy test performed prior to the first dose of study medication.
• Be able to comply with protocol requirements and be likely to complete all study treatments.
• Live within 50 miles of the study site

Exclusion criteria

• Have current dependence, defined by DSM IV criteria, on any psychoactive substance other than nicotine, alcohol, or marijuana or physiological dependence on alcohol requiring medical detoxification.
• Have a history of significant hepatic, renal, endocrine, cardiac (i.e., arrhythmia requiring medication, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction,), stroke, seizure, neurological, non-drug-related psychiatric, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, hematologic or metabolic disorders.
• Have a history of adverse reaction/hypersensitivity to N-acetylcysteine.
• Have any significant active medical or psychiatric illness (e.g. schizophrenia, suicidal/homicidal ideation within the past 30 days) which might inhibit their ability to complete the study or might be complicated by administration of NAC.
• Used carbamazepine or Nitroglycerin within the last 14 days or any other medication felt to be hazardous if taken with NAC
• Have a current or past history of asthma and/or the occasional or daily use of Albuterol or other beta-agonist inhalers.
• Females pregnant or breast-feeding
• Have any medical history or condition considered by the investigator(s) to place the subjects at increased risk.
• Not fail to actively meet the inclusion criteria at the time of screening.
• Have a history of childhood or adult seizures of any cause.
• Be currently taking any medications (i.e., beta-blockers, stimulant medications) that might affect heart rate or skin conductance