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cigarettes. A cigarette spiked with nicotine alone, without the 

 levulinic acid, had a much higher pH than even the control and 

 was felt to be "extremely harsh" and "not palatable." 



These patents show that the addition of nicotine in a form 

 that lowers the pH of the smoke increases nicotine delivery 

 without raising "tar" delivery and does so in a way that is not 

 harsh. The patent indicates that the use of nicotine levulinate 

 as an additive is a solution to the problem of making a cigarette 

 with a low "tar" delivery produce desired levels of taste, 

 strength and satisfaction to a consumer. 



R. J. Reynolds intends to provide its customers with tobacco 

 satisfaction, and tobacco satisfaction has to do with the 

 delivery of inhalable nicotine. Moreover, the term 

 "satisfaction" suggests a state of comfort, of well-being, that 

 can only be sustained by someone already addicted to nicotine by 

 the ingestion of sufficient amounts of the drug to at least 

 alleviate or forestall withdrawal symptoms. Since nearly all of 

 R. J. Reynolds more than 10 million U. S. customers smoke 

 chronically, their actual attainment of satisfaction necessarily 

 involves the maintenance of the addiction to nicotine that most 

 of them have. In intending to provide its customers with 

 "tobacco satisfaction," R. J. Reynolds intends to maintain 

 addiction to nicotine in those addicted to the drug. 



