574 



low levels of tar and a proportionately higher nicotine yield."'" According to one recent 



publication cited by Dr. Kessler in his testimony: 



One proposal has been to develop tobacco that is high in 

 nicotine but low in tar. This is not easy to do naturally; 

 nicotine and tar are highly correlated in the tobacco leaf. One 

 method would be to add nicotine to a low tar, low nicotine 

 cigarette." 



The fact is many scientists, government and/or public health officials have suggested 

 reducing "tar" to nicotine ratios as a way toward potential progress in cigarette design.'^ 



Much as the industry responded to calls to reduce "tar" and nicotine yields in the 

 1950s and 1960s, Reynolds Tobacco has devoted research to responding to these calls to 

 reduce the "tar" to nicotine ratios. Out of the hundreds of patents issued to Reynolds 

 Tobacco personnel over the years. Dr. Kessler referred to nine Reynolds Tobacco patents 

 during his recent testimony to this Subcommittee. These patents reflect work that Reynolds 

 has done in this area. As Dr. Kessler recognized, however, patents do not necessarily reflect 

 what is being used in practice. While Reynolds Tobacco has been able to develop a 

 cigarette which disassociates "tar" and nicotine in the laboratory, it has not been able to 

 achieve an acceptable commercial product. As stated above, this is not easy to do because 



'" Third Report of the Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health of 

 the United Kingdom (1983). 



" Schelling, T.C., "Addictive Drugs: The Cigarette Experience." Science Vol. 255:430- 

 433 (1992). 



" See, e.g.. "UICC Tobacco Control Fact Sheet 3," Tobacco and Cancer Programme, 

 International Union Against Cancer (March 1993); Editorial, "Monsieur Nicot's 

 Legacy," l^nceUI (8249): 763 (1981); Russell, M.A.H., "Smoking and Society (There 

 Is No Question)", Rehabilitation, 32 (1-4): 41-42 (1979). 



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