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similarities to the Pharmaceutical Industry 



Mr. Chairman, this kind of sophistication in setting levels 

 of a physiologically active substance suggests that what we are 

 seeing in the cigarette industry more and more resembles the 

 actions of a pharmaceutical manufacturer. Besides controlling 

 the amount of a physiologically active ingredient, there are a 

 number of other similarities. 



One similarity between the cigarette industry and the 

 pharmaceutical industry is the focus on bioavailability. 

 Bioavailability is the rate and extent that pharmacologically 

 active substances get into the bloodstream. For example, the pH 

 of tobacco smoke affects the bioavailability of nicotine'^. The 

 tobacco industry has conducted research on the pH of smoke'^ 

 and has undertaken to control the pH in tobacco smoke. In patent 

 examples, chemicals have been added to tobacco to affect the pH 

 of tobacco smoke'^. The industry has even performed 

 bioavailability and pharmacokinetic studies on conventional and 

 novel cigarettes". 



The cigarette industry has undertaken research to look at 

 the specific activity of added versus naturally occurring 

 nicotine". Additional research looked at the differences 

 between spiking, spraying and blending compounds into 

 cigarettes''. 



Development of an "express" cigarette, a shorter, faster 

 burning cigarette with the same amount of tar and nicotine, has 

 been reported in the lay press recently. This is another example 



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