A study conducted by researchers at the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand concluded that the smell of cigarette smoke alone is not a trigger for relapse among individuals who recently quit smoking, MedPage Today reported Oct. 17.

Researchers analyzed data from 1,110 patients in a smoking-cessation treatment center to determine whether patient reaction to cigarette smoke affected the risk of relapse shortly after quitting. About one-quarter of abstainers said they found the smell of other people's smoke at least slightly pleasant during the first week of abstinence, while over 50 percent found it at least slightly tempting.

Those who found the smell of smoke tempting during the first week of abstinence were more likely to relapse, but the same was not true of those who found the smell of smoke pleasant. However, a regression analysis revealed that relapse was more a function of general urges than smoke-related cravings. "The temptation to smoke elicited by other people's smoke is related to outcome, but only as an indicator of a general 'temptation threshold,'" the study noted.

"Recent quitters can be reassured that finding the smell of cigarette smoke pleasant is not likely to lead them back to smoking," said Hayden McRobbie, the study's co-author. The researchers added that any temptation triggered by the smell of smoke would decrease over time.

The study appeared in the November 2008 issue of the journal Addiction.