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. 2008 Jun 7;336(7656):1270. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39601.478900.4E

Low nicotine and nicotine-free cigarettes no less harmful to smokers, research finds

Roger Dobson 1
PMCID: PMC2413379  PMID: 18535053

Perceptions that low nicotine and nicotine-free cigarettes are less harmful than conventional cigarettes are not supported by research.

Smokers might have reduced exposure to some toxicants, but exposure to others is greater, say researchers in Toxicology (2008 May 24 doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2008.05.009).

“This situation would likely be exacerbated by the users compensating for the lower nicotine yield and inhaling more, thereby further altering the smoke chemistry,” say the authors, whose tests showed that condensates of smoke from the nicotine-free and low nicotine cigarettes had a similar mutagenic potency to a reference cigarette.

The researchers, from the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, investigated the low nicotine and nicotine-free cigarettes produced by Vector Tobacco, under the tradename Quest.

New products from the tobacco industry need scientific evidence to show whether they have health benefits, the researchers say, adding that cigarette smoke contains more than 4000 different compounds, of which about 69 are known or probable human carcinogens.

“These products have been sold since 2003 and advertising leads the consumer to believe that they are less harmful, less carcinogenic, and less addictive,” the researchers say. “Some consumers may believe that these are safer cigarettes, and they may smoke more [of them] or inhale more smoke to compensate for low nicotine yields.”

In the study, the toxicological effects of the two types of cigarette were compared with the Kentucky reference cigarette 2R4F. This conventional cigarette is produced for experimental purposes to National Cancer Institute specifications, and it yields about 0.8 mg of nicotine.

The researchers analysed the smoke chemistry and tested the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of the condensates.

Although concentrations of the nitroamines specific to tobacco and some volatile organic compounds in Quest cigarette smoke were lower, concentrations of aromatic amines were higher.

Epithelial cells of the airway are directly exposed to cigarette smoke and are susceptible to its toxicants and carcinogens. And one test showed that Quest cigarette smoke condensates had a similar mutagenic potential to 2R4F. Nicotine alone had no mutagenic activity.

“Our studies did not show that low nicotine or nicotine-free cigarettes would have less toxicity in human primary bronchial epithelial cells.” But nicotine in cigarette smoke condensates may be less cytotoxic, they say.

“In summary, a toxicological analysis does not indicate that low nicotine and nicotine-free Quest cigarettes have less adverse toxicological effects in the laboratory than conventional cigarettes.

“This should be drawn to the attention of the consumers and policy makers,” the researchers say, adding that these new products should be more thoroughly evaluated.


Articles from BMJ : British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

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