Characterization of tobacco products: a comparative study of the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yields of cigars, manufactured cigarettes, and cigarettes made from fine-cut tobacco

Yields of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide were compared in selected Canadian brands of manufactured and hand-rolled cigarettes, and small and large cigars. To control for varying volumes of smoke delivery per cigarette or cigar, standardized comparisons in milligrams of toxic substance per liter of smoke were made. The mean deliveries per liter of smoke and tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide were highest for small cigars, followed by hand-rolled and manufactured cigarettes; large cigars had the lowest deliveries. Five out of six brands of cigarettes handmade from fine-cut tobacco delivered significantly more tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide per cigarette or per liter than did the identically named manufactured brand.     

A comparison of the yields of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide of 36 brands of Canadian cigarettes tested under three conditions

A number of countries, including Canada, sponsor routine monitoring of cigarette tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yields which are evaluated by cigarette-smoking machines according to a standard protocol. These standardized yields continue to decline as tobacco companies modify their brands to meet consumers' demand for "light" products. This trend toward cigarettes with low average deliveries of toxic substances may reduce health risks for some people. However, switching to low-yield cigarettes may not result in reduced risks for smokers who smoke these cigarettes intensively. Thirty-six brands of Canadian cigarettes, including 28 with ventilated filters, were tested under standard conditions and 2 others in order to determine how yields of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide change when cigarettes are manipulated by smokers in order to increase their smoke intake. While the rank order yields of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide was preserved, the average yields of all three substances more than doubled when cigarettes were intensively smoked in comparison with standard smoking.     

Tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yields of some Nigerian cigarettes.

Fourteen cigarette brands manufactured in Nigeria in 1981 were analysed to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yields. Five of the brands belonged to the high and middle to high tar category (greater than 22 mg/cigarette) and nine to the middle tar (17-22 mg/cigarette) category. None of the cigarettes was in the low to middle and low tar (less than 17 mg/cigarette) category. The nicotine and carbon monoxide yields were similar to those of European cigarettes. Tobacco companies need to manufacture low tar cigarettes in the Third World as is the practice in the economically developed parts of the world.     

Composition of popular tobacco products in Thailand, and its relevance to disease prevention

BACKGROUND. This report presents new findings on the composition of the three best-selling brands of commercially produced Thai cigarettes, representing about 80% of market share in Thailand, and six best-selling tobacco products, including hand-rolled cigarettes and cigars. RESULTS. With one exception, all Thai cigarettes yielded higher levels of tar and nicotine than U.S. brands sold in Thailand. High levels of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide (CO) were found in the smoke of popular Thai cigars (Khiyo) and Burmese cigars sold in Thailand. All tobacco products tested were ranked in order of smoke yields of tar (cigarettes, 4.5 to 40.8 mg/cigarette), nicotine (0.19 to 5.77 mg/cigarette), and CO (3.1 to 9.5 mg/cigarette). The labels "very strong," "strong," and "mild," used in rating the tobacco quality by the growers in Thailand, were not found to reflect the relative nicotine and tar yields. From 1985-1990, per capita consumption of cigarettes in Thailand increased 1.4-fold. CONCLUSION. This report provides information that may prove helpful in the evaluation of the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yields of cigarettes and cigars in Thailand compared with levels in U.S. cigarettes. It is our goal to offer the scientific basis for voluntary and/or regulated reduction of the smoke yields of tobacco products in Thailand.     

Yields of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide in the sidestream smoke from 15 brands of Canadian cigarettes

Sidestream smoke yields for 15 brands of cigarettes were determined under conditions where mainstream yields were approximately equal to those used for determining the values which appear on packages of Canadian cigarettes. Sidestream yields of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide were much higher than mainstream yields for all brands tested. The average sidestream-to-mainstream ratios for the 15 brands were 3.5, 6.6, and 6.8 for tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide, respectively. The highest yields of sidestream were obtained from the brands with the lowest mainstream yields.     

Reported cigarette smoke values: a closer look.

Effects of mechanical compression of the filter tips and of blocking the air channels of a special filter design on the smoke yields of seven brands of commercial filter cigarettes were investigated. In addition, the influence of these variables on actual uptake of smoke constituents by smokers was studied with four subjects. Compression of filter tips produced major increases in smoke yields for the cigarette which features a filter tip with four longitudinal air channels at its periphery. Blocking of these air channels increased tar yields by 51 per cent, nicotine by 69 per cent, and carbon monoxide by 147 per cent. Subjects who smoked the cigarette with this special filter design tended to smoke fewer cigarettes per day than when they smoked cigarettes with perforated filter tips, yet their plasma cotinine levels were significantly higher. Blood pressure and pulse rate were markedly elevated after first exposure to smoke from the special filter cigarette, as were plasma nicotine levels. These results point out that individuals inhale different quantities of smoke constituents from cigarettes with reportedly similar smoke yields according to Federal Trade Commission methods. A redefinition of "average" smoking parameters readjustment of standard laboratory methodology are suggested.     

Maintain levels of nicotine but reduce other smoke constituents: A formula for “less-hazardous” cigarettes?

Twenty-two volunteers who smoked more than 20 cigarettes with "high" nicotine yields (0.8 to 1.2 mg) per day participated in an 8-week study designed to test the hypothesis that smoking cigarettes with a constant level of nicotine but reduced deliveries of tar, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide leads to a decrease in smoke absorption. All subjects smoked their usual high-nicotine brand for the first 3 weeks (P1), and the absorption of smoke constituents was determined from levels of thiocyanate and cotinine in saliva and serum, levels of carbon monoxide in expired air, and levels of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood. During the final 5 weeks (P2), the treatment group (16 subjects) switched to the "light" version of their usual brands (similar yields of nicotine but with reduced yields of tar, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide); the control group (6 subjects) smoked their usual brands for the duration of the study. Average levels of cotinine for the subjects who switched during P2 were not significantly different from those of the control group as was expected. Slight reductions were noted in average expired-air carbon monoxide levels, blood carboxyhemoglobin, and saliva thiocyanate, but these reductions were smaller than anticipated based on brand characteristics. The results suggest that the ratio of smoke constituents is different when individuals, rather than machines, smoke cigarettes. Yields determined under subject-defined conditions are necessary in order to properly evaluate the role of nicotine in the design of "less-hazardous" cigarettes.     

Smoke yields of tobacco-specific nitrosamines in relation to FTC tar level and cigarette manufacturer: analysis of the Massachusetts Benchmark Study

OBJECTIVES: This research assessed the relationship between the deliveries of carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) "tar" ratings of US commercial cigarettes. METHODS: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to assess the explanatory power of FTC tar, the particular manufacturer, and other cigarette characteristics to predict the yields of four TSNAs (N'-nitrosonornicotine [NNN], 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone [NNK], N'-nitrosoanatabine [NAT], and N'-nitrosoanabasine [NAB]) in 26 US commercial brands tested in the 1999 Massachusetts Benchmark Study. RESULTS: When FTC tar alone was used to predict TSNA yield, the squared correlation coefficient (R(2)) was only 38% for NNN, 76% for NNK, 46% for NAT, and 49% for NAB. Inclusion of manufacturer-specific variables significantly (p < 0.001) increased the estimated R(2) for three of the four species of nitrosamine to: 78% for NNN, 88% for NNK, and 81% for NAT. Inclusion of other cigarette characteristics (filter type, paper permeability, tobacco weight, tip dilution) did not reduce the significance of the manufacturer-specific effects. Federal Trade Commission nicotine and carbon monoxide (CO) yields were no better at predicting TSNA levels. CONCLUSIONS: FTC ratings for tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide do not tell the entire story about the comparative yields of toxic agents in marketed cigarette brands. The significant manufacturer-specific effects suggest that proprietary blending and processing of tobacco matter as well. Public, brand-by-brand disclosure of the yields of TSNA and possibly other smoke constituents appears to be warranted.     

Nicotine yield and measures of cigarette smoke exposure in a large population: are lower-yield cigarettes safer?

We examined the relationship of machine-estimated nicotine yield by cigarette brand with the level of cigarette consumption and two biochemical measures of smoke exposure (expired-air carbon monoxide and plasma thiocyanate) in a large, population-based sample of smokers (N = 713). The lower the nicotine yield of the cigarette, the greater the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Prior to adjusting for number of cigarettes smoked per day, nicotine yield was not related to the actual measures of smoke exposure. Smokers of ultralow-yield cigarettes had laboratory tests of smoke exposure which were not significantly different from those of smokers of higher-yield brands. Only after adjustment for number of cigarettes smoked per day did nicotine yield become significantly related to expired-air carbon monoxide and to plasma thiocyanate. In multivariate analysis, the number of cigarettes smoked per day accounted for 28 per cent and 22 per cent of the variance in observed expired-air carbon monoxide and plasma thiocyanate levels, respectively, whereas nicotine yield accounted for only 1 per cent and 2 per cent of the variance, respectively. The relative lack of an effect of nicotine yield on the biochemical measure appears to be due to the fact that smokers of lower nicotine brands smoked more cigarettes per day, thereby compensating for reduced delivery of smoke products. Our data do not support the concept that ultralow-yield cigarettes are less hazardous than others. Machine estimates suggesting low nicotine yield underrepresent actual human consumption of harmful cigarette constituents.     

Nitric oxide yields of contemporary UK, US and French cigarettes

To determine what governs nitric oxide (NO) yields of cigarettes and to obtain a range of yields for contemporary cigarettes 17 UK, 14 US, 8 French and 1 Turkish brand were analysed using a chemiluminescent analyser and standard smoking machine. The country of origin appeared to be the major factor affecting NO yield. US and French brands exceeded UK values by 3-5 fold. Apart from a reduced NO yield in UK ventilated filtered brands, the design of a cigarette and its tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide (CO) yield had little effect on NO yield. It is argued that these international differences in NO yields reflect differences in the nitrate content of tobaccos traditionally used in manufacture in those countries over many years. Despite their probable increased lifetime exposure to NO (and by implication nitrosamine exposure) there appears to be little evidence that US and French smokers are at greater risk of lung disease than their UK counterparts.     

国产香烟主流烟雾中多环芳烃的含量

目的检测20种主要国产品牌香烟主流烟雾中多环芳烃与焦油含量,并分析其是否有相关关系.方法按ISO国际标准吸取香烟主流烟雾中颗粒物,提取颗粒物中的多环芳烃,高效液相法测定荧蒽(FLUO),芘(pyrene,PY),苯并(g,h,j)苝(BGP),苯并(a)蒽[B(a)A],( )(CRY),苯并(a)芘[B(a)P],苯并(b)荧蒽[B(b)F],苯并(k)荧蒽[B(k)F],二苯并(a,h)蒽(DBA)9种多环芳烃含量,并检测烟雾中焦油、尼古丁含量.结果20种主要品牌香烟主流烟雾中多环芳烃主要成分含量均值从高到低依次为芘,荧蒽,CRY,苯并(a)蒽,二苯并(a,h)蒽,苯并(a)芘,苯并(g,h,j)苝,苯并(b)荧蒽,苯并(k)荧蒽.总PAHs平均含量为714.8 ng/支,其中芘、荧蒽等非致癌性组分占总PAHs的93%;致癌性多环芳烃平均含量为89.4 ng/支,以苯并(a)芘和二苯并(a,h)蒽为主要成分.总PAHs、致癌性PAHs含量与焦油含量的相关系数和P值分别为0.647,0.002,0.554,0.011.结论国产香烟主流烟雾中均可检出9种多环芳烃,总PAHs、致癌性PAHs含量与焦油含量呈正相关,提示焦油可作为估计烟雾中致癌多环芳烃含量、评价健康危害的指标.     

Reduction of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide intake in low tar smokers.

Blood nicotine, cotinine, and carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) concentrations were measured in 392 smokers (255 women and 137 men) of "middle tar" (17-22 mg), "low to middle" (11-16 mg), and "low tar" (less than 11 mg) cigarettes. Since tar intake cannot yet be measured directly, we devised an index to estimate it based on the use of measured levels of an intake marker (eg, blood nicotine) and the ratio of the tar to marker yields of the cigarettes. This approach was validated by its ability to enhance the prediction of levels of one marker by use of another. In a practical test, using COHb and the CO/nicotine yield ratio of the cigarettes, the mean blood nicotine concentration of the low tar smokers was predicted to be 31.9 ng/ml compared with the measured mean of 31.8 ng/ml. Our main findings were that despite substantial compensatory increases in inhalation, the low tar smokers took in about 25% less tar, about 15% less nicotine, and about 10% less carbon monoxide than smokers of middle and low to middle tar cigarettes. These results indicate that low tar cigarettes of the type available in Britain since the late 1970s are likely to prove less harmful than other brands. Monitoring of smoke intakes could supplement epidemiological approaches and provide earlier evidence of whether changing cigarette designs lead to any significant dosage reduction that could affect the risk of disease.     

Handmade cigarettes: it''s the tube that counts.

Thirty-one Canadian brands of fine-cut tobaccos for roll-your-own cigarettes (RYOs) were evaluated under standard conditions using mandated tube and filter combinations. Results indicate no evidence of a significant difference in the amounts of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide produced by the 31 brands. In addition, the data emphasize that it is primarily the tube and filter combination that determines delivery of toxic constituents.     

Consumption of 'low-yield' cigarettes: its frequency and relationship to serum thiocyanate.

To determine the use and possible health risks of low-yield cigarettes, we ascertained the cigarette brands and serum thiocyanate (SCN) levels of 2,561 adult smokers (age 25-74) in population-based samples of seven upper Midwestern communities during 1980-82. Brands were coded according to December 1981 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ratings for "tar", nicotine, and carbon monoxide (CO). Compared to 1980 data from the National Center for Health Statistics for the United States as a whole, a greater proportion of smokers in these communities smoked low-yield brands. More people with higher education than lesser and more women than men smoked low-yield cigarettes. Greater proportions of older people (65-75 years) than younger people (less than 65 years) smoked cigarettes in the highest and lowest brand yield categories. SCN, adjusted for number of cigarettes smoked and for sex, was only weakly associated with brand ratings for "tar" (r = +.12), nicotine (R = +.11), and CO (r = +.15). Furthermore, the gradient in SCN between lowest and highest quintiles of brand strength was less than 16 per cent--much lower than the 300-500 per cent gradient in smoke components implied by FTC ratings. These data add to the evidence that smoking low-yield cigarettes may not be significantly less hazardous than smoking high-yield brands.     

Menthol vs nonmenthol cigarettes: effects on smoking behavior.

OBJECTIVES. The purpose of this study was to examine intraindividual differences in smoking behavior between smoking regular and mentholated cigarettes. METHODS. Healthy male smokers (n = 29) smoked either a regular or a mentholated cigarette in two separate sessions 1 week apart. Commercial brands with comparable tar, nicotine, and CO content were used. Smoking behavior was constrained by fixed 15-second interpuff intervals, but puff volume and number of puffs were unconstrained. RESULTS. When smoking the non-mentholated brand of cigarettes, participants smoked 22% more puffs and had 13% higher mean volumes per puff than they did when smoking the mentholated brand of cigarettes. The aggregate 39% excess exposure to cigarette smoke in the regular-cigarette condition was not accompanied by commensurate excesses in expired carbon monoxide or in physiological measures normally correlated with nicotine exposure. CONCLUSIONS. These findings parallel differences in physiological correlates of exposure to nicotine found in cross-sectional comparisons of African-American and White smokers and are consistent with the results of emerging laboratory investigations.     

Information on tar and nicotine yields on cigarette packages.

We examined information on tar and nicotine yields on the packages of 160 cigarette brands, 58 percent of the 275 brands for which tar and nicotine yields were listed in a recent Federal Trade Commission report. The tar yield was indicated on 14 percent, the nicotine yield was indicated on 11 percent. As tar yield increased among brands, the yield was progressively less likely to be shown on the package and was not disclosed on the package of any cigarette yielding 11 mg or more of tar.     

Lung cancer risk is proportional to cigarette tar yield: evidence from a prospective study

The age-adjusted risk for lung cancer among over 120,000 male current cigarette smokers in the American Cancer Society's 1959-1972 prospective study was analyzed according to tar yield and quantity smoked per day. At each quantity level, the risk increased with increasing tar yield, and at each tar level, the risk increased with numbers of cigarettes smoked daily. The risks in smokers of cigarettes with the lowest yields, however, far exceeded those of former smokers and nonsmokers. The excess lung cancer risk for current smokers was directly proportional to the estimated total milligrams of tar consumed daily: SMR = 100 + 1.731 x milligrams tar per day. Tar yields today are much lower than they were at the time of this study and presage an eventual reduction (but not elimination) of lung cancer risk for those who continue to smoke cigarettes, especially among lifetime smokers of low-tar cigarettes.     

Mapping cigarettes similarities using cluster analysis methods

The aim of the research was to investigate the relationship and/or occurrences in and between chemical composition information (tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide), market information (brand, manufacturer, price), and public health information (class, health warning) as well as clustering of a sample of cigarette data. A number of thirty cigarette brands have been analyzed. Six categorical (cigarette brand, manufacturer, health warnings, class) and four continuous (tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide concentrations and package price) variables were collected for investigation of chemical composition, market information and public health information. Multiple linear regression and two clusterization techniques have been applied. The study revealed interesting remarks. The carbon monoxide concentration proved to be linked with tar and nicotine concentration. The applied clusterization methods identified groups of cigarette brands that shown similar characteristics. The tar and carbon monoxide concentrations were the main criteria used in clusterization. An analysis of a largest sample could reveal more relevant and useful information regarding the similarities between cigarette brands.     

Relationship between constituent labelling and reporting of tar yields among smokers in four countries

Countries have adopted different approaches to disseminating cigarette tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide (CO) levels to consumers, with some (e.g. EU member states, Canada, Australia, but not the United States) requiring disclosure of results from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) test method on packs. Cross-country comparisons can provide insight into how smokers use yields when information is presented differently. We examined whether smokers in four different countries could recall the tar yield of their brand of cigarettes, using data from the third wave of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey (ITC-4). Of current smokers in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, 33.6% gave a numeric response when asked to report the tar yield of their brand, whereas 66.4% responded 'I don't know.' American participants (9.2%) were less likely than Canadian (28.0%), UK (36.5%) or Australian (68.2%) smokers to give an answer, even after controlling for sociodemographic and smoking behaviour factors. Constituent labelling policies can affect whether smokers report a tar yield for their cigarette brand. Pack labelling appears to be useful for conveying information about cigarettes to smokers; however, there is an urgent need to develop more meaningful information on toxic constituents of cigarette smoke.     

Yields of selected toxic agents in the smoke of Canadian cigarettes, 1969 and 1978. A decade of change?

Canadian sales-weighted averages of cigarette carbon monoxide (CO) and tar have been evaluated for the decade ending 1979. Virtually no change occurred up to 1976; between 1976 and 1979 the sales-weighted average CO dropped from 21 to 16 mg with a much smaller decrease in the corresponding values for tar (16.1 to 14.4 mg). Thus changes in CO deliveries did not take place at the same rate as changes in tar deliveries. If standardized smoking machine yields are related to the risk of smoking-related morbidity and mortality, the low correlation and the 8-year lag time in the curves describing the decrease in two of the major toxic constituents of cigarette smoke may be of importance in helping to explain a lower impact of less hazardous cigarettes on coronary heart disease (CHD) rates. Assuming that exposure to CO is a risk factor for CHD, the relatively recent reduction in sales-weighted CO yields might have the effect of decreasing CHD rates among smokers in the future. In addition to CO yields, HCN, acrolein, and total aldehyde yields of 25 brands of cigarettes manufactured in 1969 were compared with yields of the same cigarettes manufactured in 1978 in order to assess changes which may have occurred in other gas phase constituents. Significant decreases were noted in the yields of all constituents other than CO; the average decrease per brand was HCN, 69 μg; total aldehydes, 114 μg, and acrolein, 5.2 μg.