725 



1000 



z 



Ml 



h 



z 



8 



e to 30 30 40 M 60 70 W fO 100 

 OCARTTtS rat OAT 



0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 8 to I J 1.4 16 M 3.0 

 FTC NICOTINE YICIO (mg) 



fietf* 2. AAemoon Blood Cotinin« Corctrinixxm {Gm^ 1). m Coniparad by Regrsssisn Analysis iMth <tm Number of CigarMIM 



5mok8d par 0«y (A) trv] •#) »w FTC-Ostermrtad l«cotine Values (6). 



Sfrtaa o9w ran op^n drcies rapf^^soft man twt one subiacl (hvo, tfvsa. or tour sutifects). 9i«sa wotLen' value* ««re to Mmlar 



M pMs or n»«v)i;al vaXies cv9rta(<pecl (ote dsnales oteervalions). The Sob! ixrnber o* subfecti shown n Panel 6 is lower bec am e 



N iit» tor a tow subiects wera inoorriplete. Morring blood cotirwie cory»rKrat)ons (Group 2. roi s^own) were on average StghCy 



bwar but had smter correlations mV) t« (writer 01 cigarenes (r • 0.45) and he FTC yyeia (r ■ 06). 



tad (he brand of dgaretle smoked that «x)uld cause 

 «ur data to be biased. 



Our findiofs are consistent %vith other reports that 

 aBi>- a small percenuge of the variance in blood nico- 

 . Mte concentrations is accounted for by machine-deter- 

 ^■ined nicodae yieJd^-'' Rickert and Robinsoo also 

 Kported no correlation berween machine-determined 

 ■icoiine yidd aiKi plasma cotinine coocoitra lions." 

 Bel their subjects included few smokers of low-nioo- 

 'tiae cigarettes (<0.7 mg). In cootrajt, in our study 

 population the fuU range of dgarelte brands was en- 

 compassed. 



.- We focused on nicotine in'.aJie from smoking difTer- 

 m ogareite brands. Nicotine is suspected of having a 

 wfe in morbidity and mortality from cortwary heart 

 Ariie, but its quantiutive importance bas not beca 

 ^ aublished. For example, a recent study showed thai 

 4e risk of myocardial infarction increased with the 

 ■•nber of cigarettes smoked but did om difler be- 

 aten smokers of low-yield cigarettes and those of 

 W(>-yicld cigarettes." Our data partly explain this 

 fUeivatioa. 

 la contrast, there is evidence implicating exposure 

 carbon moooxide ai>d tar a* a cause of disease. 

 •Wier investigators have reported that carbon mooos- 

 levels are no different in smokers of low-yield 

 rtttes and smokers of higher-yield cigarettes.'* 

 .Tkis was also true in our subjects, liiere are no mark- 

 « ^t»r consumption in people. In smoking-machine 

 lyt, low-yield cigarettes deliver a lower ratio of tar 

 ^icoone than do higher-yield cigarettes*; bowevw, 

 B0( esubtisbed that this observation holds wbeis 

 :es are smoked by people. It may be that the 

 of lar iniaie to nicotine intake is lower >» hen low- 

 cigarettes are smoked. However, since the intake 

 ne is not substandally affected by the brand of 



cigarette, the quantitative benefit (if there is any) in 

 terms of reduced tar intake is obviously far less than 

 suggested by cigarette advertisements. 



Perhaps the smokers who participaied in our study 

 and were seeking treatment consumed more nicotine 

 or were more dependent on it than other smokers. If 

 so, they were more likely to regulate their nicotine 

 intake independendy of the type of cigarette they 

 smoked. In contrast, lighter smokers who switch to 

 low-yield dgarrites may, in fact, consume less nico- 

 tine. Although this possibility cannot be discounted, 

 our subjects were representative of smokers who for 

 whatever reasons cannot slop smoking without profes- 

 sional help. We think that in the case of the habitual 

 smoker for whom cutting down oo nicotine and tar 

 inuke i* considered to be medically important, it is 

 unlikely that changing the brand of cigarette will ac- 

 complish this goal. 



In summary, we found that the tobacco in low-yield 

 cigarettes does not "contain" less nicotine than high- 

 er-yield cigarettes and that smokers of these ciga- 

 rettes do iMt consume less nicotine. The FTC ciga- 

 rette-testing data do not predict nicotine intake by 

 the cigarette smoker. Advertisements from cigarette 

 manufacturers suggesting that smokers of low-yield 

 cigarettes will be exposed to less tar and nicotine are 

 misleading. Patients who smoke dgaxettes should be 

 so advised. 



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