23 



it does not control or manipulate nicotine. Why spend a decade 

 developing through genetic breeding a high-nicotine tobacco and 

 adding that tobacco to cigarettes if you are not interested in 

 controlling and manipulating nicotine? Why focus on the enhanced 

 delivery of free nicotine to the smoker by chemical manipulation 



if you are not interested in controlling and manipulating 

 nicotine? 



III. THE GOALS OF CONTROL AND MANIPULATION 

 Why is there such interest in controlling and manipulating 

 nicotine in cigarettes? Senior industry officials are aware that 

 nicotine is the critical ingredient in cigarettes. Some in the 

 industry have identified target levels of nicotine necessary to 

 satisfy smokers' desire for nicotine. And the industry has 

 undertaken research into nicotine's physiologic and pharmacologic 

 effects. 



Target ranges 



Let me give you one example of how a company has identified 



specific levels of nicotine necessary to satisfy smokers and 



focused on how to achieve those levels. A company document 



describes consumer preference testing on "impact," which 



according to the company correlates with nicotine. The document 



states that impact is a "high priority" attribute of cigarettes 



and is: 



"...controllable to relatively fine tolerances by product 

 development/product intervention. .. (by manipulating nicotine 

 in blend/smoke...)" (Chart 20) 



This document goes on to describe an elaborate model for 

 establishing the minimum and maximum nicotine levels tolerated by 

 consumers. It states that the model provides "a median ideal 

 point level for mq nicotine in smoke" for the population tested 

 and a range of tolerable nicotine levels around this ideal point. 

 After applying the testing method to a group of European smokers, 

 for example, the document concludes: 



