Nicotine tolerance questionnaire scores and plasma nicotine: no correlation.

A questionnaire has been proposed to estimate degree of nicotine tolerance and thereby to rate the physical dependence of cigarette smokers. To examine its validity, 97 persons entering a smoking cessation clinic completed the Tolerance Questionnaire and gave late afternoon blood specimens for nicotine determination. There was no correlation between questionnaire scores and plasma nicotine levels. None of the questions had discriminatory value. A simple, nonchemical method of indicating degree of nicotine tolerance has not yet been validated.