Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph No. 7 
Figure 3 
Regression analysis of relationship between nicotine intake per cigarette and 
machine-determined nicotine yield 
FTC Machine Nicotine Yield (mg) 
Key: solid line = regression line; broken line = line of identity, which indicates points at which 
measured nicotine intake per cigarette equals machine-determined nicotine yield; 
NS = not significant. 
Source: Benowitz and Jacob, 1984a. 
COTININE What is the quantitative relationship between cotinine levels and 
LEVELS AND the intake of nicotine from smoking? To address this question, dual 
NICOTINE infusions of deuterium-labeled nicotine and cotinine were given to 
IN'I AKE smokers (Benowitz and Jacob, 1994). From resultant blood level data, 
it was possible to calculate the percentage of nicotine that is converted to 
cotinine and the clearance of cotinine per se. From these [)arameters can be 
derived a factor (K) that relates a given blood level of cotinine at steady state 
98 
