Tobacco
Products
Fact
Sheet
•
More
than
4,000
chemical
compounds
have
been
identified
in
tobacco
smoke.
Of
these,
at
least
43
are
known
to
cause
cancer.1
•
Current
tobacco
product
regulation
requires
cigarette
manufacturers
to
disclose
levels
of
magnify
tar
and
nicotine.
Smokers
receive
very
little
information
regarding
chemical
constituents
in
tobacco
smoke,
however,
and
the
use
of
terms
such
as
"light"
and
"ultra
light"
on
packaging
and
in
advertising
may
be
misleading.1
•
Cigarettes
with
low
tar
and
nicotine
contents
are
not
substantially
less
hazardous
than
higher–yield
brands.
Consumers
may
be
misled
by
the
implied
promise
of
reduced
toxicity
underlying
the
marketing
of
such
brands.1
•
Vents
are
used
in
cigarette
filters
to
lower
tar
and
nicotine
yields
in
smoke,
but
they
may
be
difficult
to
see.
To
examine
the
vents
in
some
brands,
the
smoker
would
have
to
take
off
the
filter
wrapping,
hold
the
filter
up
to
a
bright
light,
and
look
through
magnifying
glass.2
•
The
potential
health
benefit
of
low
tar
cigarettes
has
been
challenged.
Smokers
who
switch
to
lower–tar
and
lower–nicotine
cigarettes
frequently
change
their
smoking
habits.
They
may
block
the
vents
in
the
filter
portion
of
a
cigarette,
puff
more
frequently,
inhale
more
deeply,
or
smoke
more
cigarettes
per
day,
thus
negating
any
risk
reduction
from
low–tar
and
low–nicotine
cigarettes.2
•
Early
data
showed
a
lower
cancer
risk
from
low–tar
cigarettes;
however,
more
recent
data
suggest
otherwise.
Lower–yield
cigarettes
may
be
somewhat
better
than
very
high–yield
cigarettes;
but,
when
comparing
full–flavor
cigarettes
and
current
light
cigarettes,
there
is
no
evidence
to
suggest
a
lower
cancer
risk
from
the
low–tar
cigarettes.1
CIGARETTE
ADDITIVES
•
Federal
law
(the
Comprehensive
Smoking
Education
Act
of
1984
and
the
Comprehensive
Smokeless
Tobacco
Health
Education
Act
of
1986)
requires
cigarette
and
smokeless
tobacco
manufacturers
to
submit
a
list
of
ingredients
added
to
tobacco
to
the
Secretary
of
Health
and
Human
Services.1
•
Hundreds
of
ingredients
are
used
in
the
manufacture
of
tobacco
products.
Additives
make
cigarettes
more
acceptable
to
the
consumer
—
they
make
cigarettes
milder
and
easier
to
inhale,
improve
taste,
and
prolong
burning
and
shelf
life.1
•
In
1994
six
major
cigarette
manufacturers
reported
599
ingredients
that
were
added
to
the
tobacco
of
manufacture
cigarettes.
Although,
these
ingredients
are
regarded
as
safe
when
ingested
in
foods,
some
may
form
carcinogens
when
heated
or
burned.1
•
Knowledge
about
the
impact
of
additives
in
tobacco
products
is
negligible
and
will
remain
so
as
long
as
brand-specific
information
on
the
identity
and
quantity
of
additives
is
unavailable.1
SMOKELESS
ADDITIVES
•
In
1994
ten
manufacturers
of
smokeless
tobacco
products
released
a
list
of
additives
used
in
their
products.
The
additives
list
contained
562
ingredients
approved
for
foods
by
the
FDA.1
•
The
list
of
additives
to
smokeless
tobacco
includes
sodium
carbonate
and
ammonium
carbonate,
which
increase
the
level
of
"free"
nicotine
in
moist
snuff
by
raising
the
pH
level.
Unprotonated
(free)
nicotine
is
the
chemical
form
of
nicotine
that
is
most
readily
absorbed
through
the
mouth
into
the
blood-stream.
Therefore,
increases
in
pH
can
increase
the
snuff
user’s
nicotine
absorption
rate.
Studies
with
nicotine
and
other
addictive
drugs
suggest
that
the
absorption
rate
of
drugs
into
the
body
is
an
important
determinant
of
their
addiction
potential.3
•
Moist
snuff
products
with
low
nicotine
content
and
pH
levels
have
a
smaller
proportion
of
free
nicotine.
In
contrast,
moist
snuff
products
with
high
nicotine
content
and
pH
levels
have
a
higher
proportion
of
free
nicotine.1
•
The
epidemiology
of
moist
snuff
use
among
teenagers
and
young
adults
indicates
that
most
novices
start
with
brands
having
low
levels
of
free
nicotine
and
then
"graduate"
to
brands
with
higher
levels.1
•
Sweeteners
and
flavorings,
such
as
cherry
juice
concentrate,
apple
juice,
chocolate
liqueur,
or
honey
are
used
in
various
smokeless
tobacco
products.
As
with
manufactured
cigarettes,
these
additives
increase
palatability
and
may
increase
the
use
of
smokeless
tobacco,
at
least
among
novices.1
REFERENCES
- U.S.
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services.
Reducing
Tobacco
Use:
A
Report
of
the
Surgeon
General.
Atlanta:
U.S.
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services,
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention,
2000.
- Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention.
Filter
ventilation
levels
in
selected
U.S.
cigarettes,
1997.
MMWR
1997;
46:1043-47.
- Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention.
Determination
of
nicotine,
pH,
and
moisture
content
of
six
U.S.
commercial
moist
snuff
products
—
Florida,
January–February
1999.
MMWR
1999;
48:398-401.
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