The researchers looked at 58 smokers between the ages of 18 and 35 who sniffed extracts of coconut, banana, peppermint, and lemon as well as camphor-based cough suppressant, vinegar, and floral-scented shampoo. Odorless distilled water was sniffed by a control group. Participants triggered their smoking urges by lighting and then putting out their cigarettes. They later reported whether their urge to smoke was decreased by each of the odors.

The study's findings suggest pleasant and unpleasant smells reduced the participants' urge to smoke. The researchers were also able to rule out the act of sniffing as a factor in reduced smoking urge. Results showed that those sniffing both pleasant and offensive smells reported reduced urges to smoke compared to those sniffing odorless distilled water. However, the researchers reported that participants' facial expressions indicated that odors triggering expressions associated with positive emotion were more effective than those producing expressions related to negative emotion.

Still, the practical applications of this study are unknown, said Michael Sayette, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and co-author of the study. "This is preliminary research," Dr. Sayette noted. "It?s premature to say that going into your garden and smelling flowers will help you quit smoking. My advice to those who are trying to quit smoking is to contact an approved smoking cessation program."

However, Dr. Sayette believes his research opens an avenue ripe for further investigation ? whether aromatherapy has any value in smoking cessation.

One of the questions the study did not address is how long the smoking urge abated. Dr. Sayette said this information could prove valuable in the future, even if the craving is staved off only momentarily. "If it lasts only 40 seconds we might think, 'What good is that?'" Dr. Sayette said. "It might be more valuable than one would think. Maybe in that minute the smoker can buy some time to make a better decision and leave a high-risk situation. Of course, this is all speculative."

Frank Baker, PhD, vice president of behavioral research for the American Cancer Society (ACS) and director of the ACS's Behavioral Research Center, agreed with Dr. Sayette?s assessment of the study?s findings. "It?s a well-designed study that raises some provocative questions," Dr. Baker said. "Smelling pleasant odors seems to be a good first step in distracting people from smoking. But we have to be careful not to over-interpret the results."

Like Dr. Sayette, Dr. Baker cautions smokers not to consider smelling certain odors as an alternative therapy to current smoking cessation programs, such as nicotine replacement and counseling.

If future research reveals that use of odors to curb smoking is valuable, Dr. Sayette said it's likely that it will be as an addition to an integrated smoking cessation program that includes several smoking cessation techniques.