maltol and ethyl maltol share in common the gamma pyrone ring structure . gamma pyrones having flavor enhancing and pharmacologic properties essentially similar to maltol and ethyl maltol are contemplated as within the scope of the invention . ethyl maltol is the more effective of the commercially available gamma pyrone tested to date , being four to six times more effective , on a weight basis , than maltol . smoking behavior is complex and includes cigarette , pipe and cigar smoking . both from the standpoint of habituation and of health hazard , cigarette smoking is considered to be the most serious . it is contemplated that the treatment method described herein will be effective to inhibit all forms of smoking behavior and combinations thereof , involving the consumption of tobacco . for convenience , the ensuing discussion focuses on cigarette smoking , as exemplary of smoking behavior in general . tobacco consumption is a function the number of cigarettes smoked and the proportion of each cigarette smoked . reduction of consumption is measured by comparison with a smoker &# 39 ; s pretreatment consumption rate . all data used herein are expressed as percent reduction , i . e ., the differential between pretreatment and current smoking consumption rate divided by the pretreatment rate , times 100 . all rates are calculated to take into account both the number of cigarettes smoked and the proportion of each smoked . the gamma pyrones are effective in inhibiting tobacco consumption when administered perorally . since maltol and ethyl maltol are rapidly metabolized and excreted , the preferred mode of administration is one which spreads the daily dose over the waking hours , by administration of a series of incremental doses during the day . it has been found that administration is considerably more effective if the gamma pyrone is retained in the mouth for a period of time during administration of such an incremental dose . the advantages of retention in the mouth are observed when the incremental dose is released therein over a period of at least ten minutes and preferably 20 - 30 minutes . the preferred method of such administration is a slowly dissolving lozenge , troche , or chewing gum , in which the gamma pyrone is dispersed . incomplete data suggest the possibility that systemic oral administration is effective . if so , other forms of systemic administration such as subcutaneous injection could be employed , especially when combined in a sustained release formulation . the effective dosage varies with individual responsiveness to the treatment . higher doses are used in the initial stages of treatment than in the later stages . initially , dosage of ethyl maltol in the range of 500 mg to 1500 mg may be employed , with 800 mg to 1200 mg preferred . individual responsiveness to gamma pyrones varies widely , with women and younger people tending to be more responsive and thus requiring lower daily doses . the daily dose , to be optimally effective , must be divided into a series of incremental doses , preferably about 7 - 8 per day . in the preferred embodiment , each incremental dose is administered from a time release vehicle such as a slowly dissolving troche or chewing gum . chewing gum has been found to be a most effective vehicle . it has the advantage or permitting the user to adjust his dose rate by chewing a desired length of gum stick for the appropriate time interval , at least 10 minutes and preferably 20 to 30 minutes . for example , gum containing 156 mg ethyl maltol per stick could be used to administer 7 to 8 incremental doses . the rate of ethyl maltol released by a lozenge , trouche or chewing gum , should be in the range of 2 to 16 mg / min , preferably 4 to 8 mg / min . it is noteworthy that 156 mg of gamma pyrone in a 1 . 75 g stick of gum is a concentration of about 90 , 000 parts per million , which is several orders of magnitude greater than amounts disclosed for any flavoring or flavor enhancement purpose . the number of incremental doses should be calculated to provide a minimum of 20 to 70 mg of ethyl maltol per dose , depending upon the individual factors described supra . the minimum effective dose of maltol is 4 to 6 times greater . for ethyl maltol , to provide a minimum dose in a 3 g stick of gum would require as little as 0 . 66 % ethyl maltol . the maximum quantity would be about 300 mg in a 1 g stick , roughtly 30 %. the preferred range of ethyl maltol concentrations in a chewing gum is between 5 % and 15 %. the best mode presently contemplated for a chewing gum composition contains 156 mg ethyl maltol per 1 . 75 g stick ( 8 . 9 %). duration of treatment may be as little as ten days , preferably 20 to 30 days . as might be expected with a complex behavior such as smoking , where psychological and social factors play a major role in addition to individual variations in nicotine susceptibility and responsiveness to gamma pyrone , the rate of smoking reduction during treatment is highly variable . typically , a gradual reduction to about 50 % to the pretreatment rate is observed over the first four to six days . frequently , little or no reduction is observed for the first two days , although occasionally a dramatic reduction is observed almost immediately . in the ensuing seven to ten days , further reductions , typically 70 to 100 %, are observed . reduction below the 50 % level in the first 3 - 5 days is sometimes accompanied by the physiological ( but not psychological ) symptoms of nicotine withdrawl , such as vertigo , alimentary distress , diuresis , scotoma and disorientation . such symptoms have never been observed in non - smoking control subjects using the same gamma pyrone dosages . to minimize the effects of nicotine withdrawal , it is preferred to lower the gamma pyrone dosage once the smoking level has decreased to 50 %, in order to accomplish the subsequent reduction at a somewhat lower rate . the entire course of treatment is therefore extended somewhat , preferably to about 20 to 30 days total . the lack of physiological nicotine withdrawal symptoms during the first 50 % of smoking reduction is consistent with the observations of others that reductions of up to 50 % are achievable by placebo administration without appreciable side effects ( merry , j . and preston , g ., supra ; sutherland , a ., et al ., j . consulting clin . psych . ( august 1975 ) pp . 443 - 447 ). it appears that habitual smokers normally consume sufficient tobacco to maintain a daily dose about twice that needed to prevent withdrawal symptoms . therefore , only reductions greater than 50 % can be regarded as clinically significant . the objective findings are straightforward . in the majority of cases , there is a gradual reduction in smoking , both in number of cigarettes lit and amount of each smoked , the percent reduction eventually increasing to substantially more than 50 %. a rate of reduction varies considerably from one individual to the next and is dose related . a remarkable feature is that the smoking reduction occurs whether or not the subject is aware of the purpose for which the gamma pyrone is administered . in initial experiments , subjects were simply asked to self - administer the desired dosage and to report all of their observations . some subjects remained unaware of their reduced smoking for one to two days , until the phenomenon was inescapable , as for example , when the same pack of cigarettes was being used two days in a row . the subjective effects of the gamma pyrone treatment are the most interesting and informative . most remarkably , the reduction in cigarette consumption is accompanied by none of the common effects of quitting smoking , such as anxiety , nervousness or restlessness . if anything , subjects appear after reductions greater than 70 % to have a reduced level of anxiety and often experience an increased sense of purpose and self worth . these subjective responses are observed even in the phase of treatment where minor physiological nicotine withdrawal symptoms can be observed . the gamma pyrone treatment appears to disassociate the physiological from the psychological affects of nicotine habituation , and to somehow remove the latter . the principal side effects of the treatment are those to be expected when a large concentration of a potent flavor enhancer is present in the mouth over a period of several days . the taste of a gamma pyrone such as ethyl maltol is difficult to described , in fact , varying considerably depending upon what other flavors are in the mouth or have previously been in the mouth . similarly , the tastes of other substances are affected , depending on how recently the gamma pyrone has been administered . certain substances and flavor combinations produce unpleasant and bitter sensations in the presence of the large quantities of gamma pyrone used in the treatment method . for this reason , a chewing gum or troche formulation must be free of trace amounts of bitter agents such as amino acids and tannins , and highly aromatic flavorings such as cinnamon or wintergreen . when properly formulated , without added flavorings except for optional mild fruit flavorants such as apple , the gamma pyrone chewing gum or troche will have a pleasant flavor . initially , some subjects experience a sharp taste and salivation will be stimulated . the taste of tobacco products , as with other substances , depends upon the length of time since the last dose of gamma pyrone was administered . some subjects , after chewing a stick of ethyl maltol gum , find the initial taste of a cigarette to be pleasurable . at most other times , the cigarette flavor may be disagreeable . perhaps the most profound effect experienced by subjects under treatment is a pronounced , generalized enhancement of the taste and olfactory sensorium . all flavors and odors appear intensified . subjects become aware of and sensitive to off odors and flavors in food and drink . foodstuffs containing such off flavor elements tend to be avoided . subjects display a decided preference for the better grades of coffee , tea and alcoholic beverages . bitter tastes , as in beer , are poorly tolerated . one subject , an avid beer drinker , discontinued the treatment program because it interfered with a customary after hours beer . the foregoing effects are experienced by smoking and non - smoking subjects alike . when when treatment is discontinued , the flavor enhancement affects disappear . physiological effects attributable to gamma pyrone administration have not been observed . the formulation of a slowly dissolving troche is described herein . alternative formulations known in the art can be readily devised to accomplish the following goals : the troche should be slowly soluble in the mouth , preferably lasting about 15 minutes , retaining its physical integrity during that period ; the flavor should be mild , preferably a fruit flavor ; and the troche should be only slightly sweetened , if at all . the troche was composed primarily ( greater than 90 % by weight ) of a high molecular weight polysaccharide , a non - hygroscopic hydrolyzed cereal solid having a dextrose equivalent of less than 15 , such as &# 34 ; mor - rex &# 34 ;, code 1918 , trademark cpc international , inc ., englewood cliffs , new jersey . dissolution time was controlled by incorporating up to 1 % of a hydrophobic starch such as modified waxy maize starch ( dry - flo , national starch company ). waxy maize starches are also known as amioca starch and are composed almost entirely of highly branched amylopectin . the effect , on dissolution time , of small amounts of waxy maize starch in a 1 . 2 gram troche is given by the following table ; ______________________________________percent by weight oral dissolutionwaxy maize starch time ( minutes ) ______________________________________0 61 / 2 83 / 4 101 15______________________________________ addition of greater than 1 % waxy maize starch made the composition unduly rubbery and difficult to manipulate . the troches were made essentially by conventional candy making techniques . the polysaccharide and starch were first dry blended to substantial uniformity . about 3 - 4 % by weight of water was added to the dry powder to form a thick paste . this paste was then heated to produce a uniform viscous melt . maltol or ethyl maltol were added to this melt as saturated solutions in boiling water . the water solubility of the gamma pyrones is somewhat limited . for example , one gram of ethyl maltol requires 6 ml of water at 100 ° c . to dissolve completely . since the water content of the mixture must be kept low , the amount of ethyl maltol which can be incorporated is about 3 - 4 %, and preferably about 1 % by weight of the troche . since ethyl maltol is volatile , especially at elevated temperatures , it is essential to minimize the length of time the mass is held at the elevated temperature once the gamma pyrone is added . alternatively , the entire process can be carried out in a suitable pressure apparatus . alternatively , ethyl maltol and other gamma pyrones may be added in alcoholic solution wherein they are somewhat more soluble , permitting higher final concentrations of gamma pyrone in the finished product . flavoring materials may be added if desired . small amounts of mild fruit flavors are preferred , spicy flavors are to be avoided . after mixing to evenly distribute the components , the molten candy mass was then handled in substantially the same manner as a taffy , in that it was pulled to a uniform smooth microstructure and optimum water content . the taffy may be rolled or extruded into ropes or strips and re - gelled at about 160 ° f ., cut to the desired weight troches and regranulated before wrapping to protect against moisture loss . conventional equipment for handling , casting or stamping troches of desired size and shape may be used . the resulting troche was a hard , tough article primarily composed of polysaccharide and containing 1 - 5 % by weight of ethyl maltol depending upon the formulation as described . individual troches were of sufficient size to provide an adequate incremental dose of ethyl maltol when retained in the mouth and allowed to dissolve gradually over the approximately 15 minute lifetime of the troche . the formation of a chewing gum for administering a gamma pyrone according to the invention is next described . crystaline ethyl maltol was ground and sieved to 300 mesh . the ground particles acquired a static charge , tending to float upwards . in practice , it was possible to sieve the particles upwards , collecting only those which passed through the 300 mesh screen . the ground particles were mixed at 45 ° c . with a plastic chewing gum base , until evenly distributed throughout the mass . the chewing gum base was selected to be free of amino acids , tannins and other flavoring elements capable of combining with gamma pyrone to yield bitter off flavors . the rate of release of gamma pyrone into the oral cavity is a function of the rate of solution of the gamma pyrone as the gum is chewed . the rate of solution is controlled by the size of the gamma pyrone particles dispersed in the gum . optimally , for ethyl maltol , particles in the size range from 300 to 400 mesh when dispersed in such a matrix , are dissolved in the mouth in about 30 minutes . the gamma pyrone must be dispersed throughout the gum in particulate form to provide the desired sustained release effect , particles smaller than 300 - 400 mesh dissolved more slowly , so that the incremental dose was delivered more slowly . larger particles dissolved more rapidly than desired so that the dose was delivered in an undesirably short time . larger particles also tended to recrystallize into yet larger aggregates during storage . a refined , bland chewing gum base , obtained from adams sour apple gum , ( warner - lambert , inc ., morris plains , n . j .) was heated to 45 ° c . in a 100 gram batch . ethyl maltol , 300 to 400 mesh , 6 . 66 grams , was added to the chewing gum base with thorough mixing to provide an even distribution of particles throughout the mass . the mass was then rolled into individual 3 gram sticks and allowed to cool . alternatively , the mass was rolled as a single thin rectangular slab , allowed to cool , then cut into 3 gram sticks . the individual sticks were then wrapped with plastic or treated paper to prevent storage loss of ethyl maltol due to sublimation at room temperature . each 3 gram stick contains 200 mg of ethyl maltol . the ethyl maltol dose was administered simply by chewing an appropriate amount of the gum for at least 10 and preferably 15 minutes . for many subjects , an adequate dose was administered by chewing a half a stick of gum at one time . the flavor was described as pleasant and occasionally as sharp , depending on the antecedent flavors in the subject &# 39 ; s mouth . the effect of a single dose of ethyl maltol in the range from 100 mg to 1 , 200 mg was tested on thirty volunteer subjects who were smokers . as a control , an additional ten smokers were given an inert placebo , a similar candy or gum laced with ascorbic acid and citric acid to impart a medicinal flavor . subjects treated with a single dose of placebo showed no effect on their smoking habit . subjects receiving greater than 300 milligrams of ethyl maltol experienced an immediate overt negative reaction to cigarettes . the threshold of effectiveness varied with the individual &# 39 ; s age , sex , weight , smoking history , and habits . the threshold dose also varied with the mode of administration , being somewhat lower if delivered in a chewing gum over a ten to fifteen minute period rather than ingested in tablet form . however , as a general rule , a single dose of less than 300 mg . produced no definitive effect . by contrast , for substantially all individuals , a definitive result of reduced desire to smoke cigarettes was noted when the dosage was greater than 500 mg . a definite result was a substantially reduced level of smoking , lasting anywhere from a few hours to two days . for some subjects , physiological symptoms of nicotine withdrawal were noted . increased effectiveness was observed with increasing dose up to about 1 , 200 mg but at doses greater than 1 , 200 mg no addition advantage was noted . these studies established the existence of a critical threshold dose level below which the effectiveness of ethyl maltol as a tobacco smoking inhibitor was not observed . in subsequent tests where the gamma pyrone was administered in a dose series extending over several days , daily doses of less than about 300 mg per day were similarly ineffective . extensive tests were made of individual smokers of varied age , smoking history , and sex in a course of treatment extending over several days . all smokers tested in this experiment were initially naive as to the purpose of the test or the expected effect . the subjects volunteered for the tests after being told that the material is safe according to fda food additive standards and that they were to report all observed effects . so far as can be ascertained none of the subjects deduced the true purpose of the test until the effects were made obvious by substantial involuntary reduction in their smoking activities . subjects were interviewed before the dosage course to insure that they were in general good health . interviews were also conducted during and after the dosage course , at least every third day to ascertain what physiological or psychological effects were experienced . no side effects were noted during or after the treatment cycle . as a control , five non - smoker volunteers were tested according to the same regimen , receiving varying quantities of ethyl maltol in excess of 500 mg . per day for periods of several days . observations and interviews showed no psychological or physiological effects . several individuals from the original test series volunteered for additional testing . in all such instances , a treatment free period of three weeks to three months was interposed between tests . results of the tests are shown in table 1 . subjects are identified by number . the original , naive tests are identified by the letter &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; following the subjects &# 39 ; number . subsequent test series are identified sequentially by &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;, where appropriate . all subjects except nos . 10 and 11 received ethyl maltol in a chewing gum with instructions to chew for at least 10 minutes , and preferably 15 minutes . subjects 10 and 11 received ethyl maltol in tablet form , rather than by sustained release in the mouth . the results suggest that systemic administration of the gamma pyrone was partially effective . however , the experiments did not rule out the possibility that the results were due to retention of a portion of the dose in the mouth , as by chewing or sucking the tablets . table 1__________________________________________________________________________ 6 8 9 4 est . dosage 7 cigarette cigarette 111 smoking 5 ingested dose consumption consumption 10 change in smokingsubject2 3 history dosage per day course per day at per day at percentage patternno . age sex ( years ) unit / day ( mg .) ( days ) start end reduction per__________________________________________________________________________ cig . 1a 50 m 35 4 sticks 800 16 50 15 70 % reduced to light - up2a 54 m 40 41 / 2 stks 900 12 50 0 100 % -- 2b 54 m 40 4 sticks 800 20 35 10 - 15 70 - 80 % approx . 1 / 22c 54 m 40 31 / 2 stks 700 30 35 5 90 % approx . 1 / 23a 58 m 40 71 / 2 stks 1500 25 70 0 100 % -- 3b 58 m 40 31 / 2 stks 700 8 50 15 - 20 60 - 70 % varied4a 45 m 30 6 sticks 1200 8 40 0 100 % -- 4b 45 m 30 5 sticks 1000 4 30 5 or less 80 %+ less than 1 / 25a 40 m 25 31 / 2 stks 700 14 50 7 - 10 90 %+ less than 3 / 46a 23 fm 6 3 sticks 600 1 20 reduced to 1 / 2 pack for following 2 wks . 7a 39 fm 13 5 sticks 1000 7 30 7 - 10 65 - 70 % less than 1 / 27b 39 fm 13 4 sticks 800 20 17 - 20 7 - 10 41 - 68 % less than 1 / 27c 39 fm 13 31 / 2 stks 700 40 15 7 - 8 41 - 53 % reduced to 2 - 3 puffs8a 28 fm 9 4 sticks 800 1 20 5 75 % less than 1 / 28b 28 fm 9 3 sticks 600 1 20 7 40 - 50 % less than 1 / 29a 40 fm 25 4 sticks 800 5 50 10 - 12 75 - 80 % less than 3 / 410a 36 m 19 6 tablets 1200 10 40 10 - 12 70 - 75 % reduced to 3 - 4 puffs11a 32 m 14 5 tablets 1000 15 30 17 - 18 40 - 43 % less than 3 / 412a 43 m 20 5 sticks 1000 8 30 3 - 4 87 - 90 % reduced to 3 - 4 puffs non13a 44 m habit 5 sticks 1000 2 non - habit not able to finish cigarette during dose course smoker smoker__________________________________________________________________________ subjects who participated had prior knowledge of the purported effect of the treatment . they were asked to test a new dosage form and told that a &# 34 ; cure &# 34 ; was not necessarily to be expected in this test . the dosage was 1 , 000 mg / day of ethyl maltol divided over eight pieces of slowly dissolving lozenges , made essentially as described supra . subjects administered their own dosage without supervision . the tests were designed and supervised by the inventor but carried out by intermediaries , in order to maximize the opportunity for objective evaluation of symptoms , and to minimize any possibility of investigative bias influencing the results . ( true double blind tests are impossible because the gamma pyrone flavor is distinctive and virtually impossible to mask ). subjects were all in generally good health , and were selected to represent a variety of ages , occupational stresses , and personal life styles . the results of the tests are shown in table ii . levels of tobacco consumption were calculated taking into account the number of cigarettes smoked and the proportions smoked . they are expressed as percent reduction from the pretest smoking level . table ii__________________________________________________________________________chart records reduction in smoking level (%). day no . : subjectsex 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10__________________________________________________________________________1 . m -- 5 10 40 30 60 50 70 80 852 . m -- 15 20 50 80 95 40 55 70 903 . m -- 5 5 10 10 20 20 40 70 854 . m -- 10 40 65 85 95 90 75 80 905 . m -- 5 10 5 10 15 20 15 20 30 ( heavy alcohol consumption ). 6 . f 10 30 60 75 60 50 65 70 65 707 . f -- 10 30 70 90 70 85 90 95 908 . f -- 5 15 30 50 25 30 55 90 809 . f -- 10 15 10 35 20 45 50 65 7010 . f -- 20 45 70 95 discontinued (&# 34 ; beer tasted funny &# 34 ;). __________________________________________________________________________ numbers in blocks represent percentage reduction in smoking , taking into account lengths of cigarettes smoked . during the same time period that the studies in example five were conducted , two groups of smokers were administered a placebo dosage comprising the same basic candy lozenge , but lacking any gamma pyrone and containing ascorbic and citric acids to impart a sharp , medicinal flavor . placebo group 1 was composed of volunteers recruited from a coffee break group , who were given essentially the same information as the active test group of example five . the test was administered by an intermediary individual who was not aware that the dose was a placebo . the results are shown in table iii . table iii__________________________________________________________________________placebo group 1 day no . : subjectsex 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10__________________________________________________________________________1 . m -- 0 0 0 0 discontinued2 . m -- 5 10 10 20 40 discontinued3 . f -- 0 0 0 0 discontinued4 . f -- 5 5 15 45 40 45 45 40 305 . f -- 15 35 55 65 70 60 55 55 55__________________________________________________________________________ numbers in blocks represent percentage reduction in smoking , taking into account lengths of cigarettes smoked . placebo group two was composed of students of a college professor who had himself participated in earlier tests of efficiency ( subject no . 2 of example three ), and who administered the tests on group two without knowledge that a placebo dose was used . the volunteer test subjects of group two were given essentially the same pre - test information as group one and the active test group of example five , although it is possible that the professor &# 39 ; s enthusiasm for the treatment could have influenced the results , shown in table iv . table iv__________________________________________________________________________placebo group 2 day no . : subjectsex 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10__________________________________________________________________________1 . m -- 15 20 60 95 90 60 60 45 452 . m -- 25 60 85 90 100 60 50 40 403 . m -- 20 30 55 65 60 55 40 50 554 . f -- 10 10 5 -- 5 10 -- 5 05 . f -- 15 20 35 45 30 40 45 30 40__________________________________________________________________________ numbers in blocks represent percentage reduction in smoking , taking into account lengths of cigarettes smoked . it was concluded that tests of a smoking inhibitor treatment are subject to a substantial placebo effect . the magnitude of the effect is clearly variable with individuals and with test design . the placebo effect is large and may account for up to 50 % reduction in smoking level . comparison of the data of example five and the placebo groups supports the conclusion that the gamma pyrone treatment result in substantially decreased smoking levels over the placebo effect , in a ten day course of treatment . this conclusion is further substantiated by analysis of variance . for such analysis , individual tests that were either incomplete or which presented unusual circumstances were discarded . results from placebo groups one and two were pooled . the average percent reduction in smoking is plotted in fig1 for the treatment and the placebo groups . analysis of variance for days seven through ten , where the treatment in placebo groups began to diverge , indicated that the treatment group was indeed significantly different from the placebo group . while the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof , it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and this application is intended to cover any variations , uses , or adaptations of the invention following , in general , the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth , and as follows in the scope of the appended claims .
a method of inhibiting or destroying the desire to smoke tobacco products which comprises administering for an extended period of time a gamma pyrone selected from the class of maltol and ethyl maltol and in a quantity initially of not less than about 500 milligrams per day . by incorporating a maltol in relatively large amounts in gum , candy , or other physiologically acceptable media , the desired amount of maltol can be taken by reasonable daily consumption of such media . releasing the maltol in the mouth at least 10 minutes for about 12 to 15 times per day is important . a lozenge or troche that lasts over 10 minutes in the mouth and releases ethyl maltol at a rate of excess of about 0 . 2 mg ./ min . is preferred . when this is done the pyrone should be administered at more than about 75 mg ./ day .