Maintain levels of nicotine but reduce other smoke constituents: a formula for ''less-hazardous'' cigarettes

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Prev. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0091-7435(84)90013-6· OSTI ID:5741699

Robinson, J C; Young, J C; Rickert, W S

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.

• Research Organization: Labstat Incorporated, Smoking and Health Program, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
• OSTI ID: 5741699
• Journal Information: Prev. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Prev. Med.; (United States) Vol. 13:5; ISSN PVTMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
ALKALOIDS
AMINES
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
AZINES
AZOLES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD SERUM
BODY FLUIDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARBOXYHEMOGLOBIN
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CYANIDES
DISPERSIONS
DISTRIBUTION
DRUGS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROCYANIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
MATERIALS
NICOTINE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARASYMPATHOLYTICS
PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS
PYRIDINES
PYRROLES
PYRROLIDINES
RESIDUES
RISK ASSESSMENT
SALIVA
SMOKES
SOLS
TAR
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TOBACCO SMOKES