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CIGARETTES CONTAIN ^nittb g^atca 



NICOTINE ~ JiouBC of ffieprcBentatiucB 



NAI UKALjLY.... ^ MARTIN LANCASTER 



NORTH CAROLINA 

 THIRD DISTRICT 



Dear Colleague: 



The media is at it again - trying to create "entertainment" by distorting and 

 sensationalizing the facts. 



The National Enquirer of television entertainment. Day One, aired a show on Feb. 

 28, 1994 suggesting that tobacco companies "spike" cigarettes with nicotine. This 

 is an absolute falsehood. Cigarettes naturally contain nicotine, but there is nothing 

 in the processing of tobacco or the manufacture of cigarettes that increases 

 nicotine levels above what naturally occurs. At no i>oint in the production of 

 cigarettes, from the tobacco fields to the completion of the manufacturing process, 

 is any amount of nicotine added to "spike" cigarettes and the finished product 

 actually contains less nicotine than cured tobacco. 



The facts show that the level of nicotine delivered by cigarettes has been 

 dramatically reduced since 1950. Since 1950, the addition of filters, differences in 

 the paper used to wrap the tobacco, and other changes have resulted in a 69% 

 decrease in the average amount of nicotine yields. 



Consistency in the level of nicotine is demanded by consumers and the Federal 

 Trade Commission for advertising purposes. As a result, the nicotine yields of all 

 cigarettes, determined by testing methods required by the FTC, have appeared in 

 cigarette advertising for over 20 years. From year-to-year, nicotine levels in the 

 tobacco crop vary primarily due to climatic differences, but the demanded 

 consistency in nicotine levels is achieved by mixing tobacco from different crop 

 years, not by adding nicotine. 



During its piece on nicotine, Day One implied that nicotine is added during the 

 process of making sheets of reconstituted tobacco. Simply stated, no additional 

 nicotine is added to the sheets. Zero. None. 



There are at least two reconstituting processes which are patented and used today. 

 The processes are similar and neither include the addition of extraneous nicotine. 

 Scrap tobacco, including improperly cut tobacco, tobacco stems, and the like, are 

 placed into water. Components which are water soluble, including some nicotine 

 and tobacco flavoring, are dissolved into the water. The water is extracted from 

 the mixture and the remaining tobacco fibers are rolled into a sheet. The water, 

 which does contain naturally occurring nicotine and tobacco flavors, is returned 

 to the sheets and the sheets are left to dry. Only nicotine present at the beginning 

 of the process is present at the end of the process. At least 3 Surgeon General 

 reports and 5 reports by the National Cancer Institute document this process, and 

 all conclude that the use of reconstituted tobacco results in reduced nicotine levels 

 in the final tobacco blend . 



Day One indicated that cigarettes are also "spiked" with nicotine from two other 

 sources - denatured alcohol and tobacco extracts. This too is demonstrably untrue. 

 Day One chose to ignore readily available information which shows that the use of 

 these substances does not measurably increase nicotine levels in cigarettes. 



I trust that this information helps to clear up some of the misinformation being 

 broadcast on our public airwaves. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if you 

 would like further information. 



With kindest regards, I am 



Sincerely yofirs. 



\ 



H. Mactin Lancaster 

 Member of Congress 



