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Chart M illustrates the results. 



The Problem of the Low-yield Cigarette 



We, at the Food and Drug Administration, are concerned not 

 only about the control over nicotine levels exercised by the 

 cigarette industry, we are also concerned that the problems 

 associated with nicotine are aggravated by significant 

 limitations in consumer's ability to reduce their exposure to 

 nicotine by selecting "low" nicotine cigarettes. 



Most people who smoke low yield or "light" cigarettes 

 believe that they are getting less nicotine and tar by smoking 

 these cigarettes. For the last 25 years the American public has 

 relied on FTC ratings of tar and nicotine in advertising to tell 

 them what they will be consuming. The "FTC method" utilizes 

 a machine that tests cigarettes in a process involving a two- 

 second, 35 milliliter puff each minute until a predetermined butt 

 length is reached'". 



Most people don't realize that low yield cigarettes, as 

 determined by the FTC method, do not usually result in 

 proportionally less nicotine being absorbed when compared to high 

 yield cigarettes^'. Furthermore, there is little correlation 

 between low yield FTC ratings and the total amount of nicotine in 

 cigarettes'". 



It is a myth that people who smoke low nicotine cigarettes 

 are necessarily going to get less nicotine than people who smoke 

 high nicotine cigarettes. There are several reasons for this. 



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