Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph No. 7 
Daniel Oliver, chairman of FTC, confirmed FTC's position on cigarette 
testing in a statement before a congressional committee: 
As a general matter, I believe that advertisements that accurately 
convey information on "tar" and nicotine content can be a 
valuable source of information to consumers. Advertising that 
provides comparative information on different "tar" and nicotine 
levels can be especially useful (Oliver, 1988). 
CIGARETTE The cigarette industry response to the public demand for 
DESIGN AND reduced tar and nicotine cigarettes is evident in the dramatic 
CILANGES IN THE decline in sales-weighted average tar yields over the past 40 years 
CIGARETTE (Figure 1). In the early 1950's the average tar yield of cigarettes 
MARKET was around 38 mg per cigarette. Today that average is about 
12 mg per cigarette. Nicotine yields also have been reduced in a similar 
fashion, although to a slightly different degree because the available 
techniques reduce tar and nicotine yields with slightly different efficiencies. 
The techniques to reduce tar over the years include filtration, more 
efficient filtration (through different filter materials, fiber type and density, 
and filter length), filter ventilation, expanded tobacco, tobacco weight 
reduction, increased paper porosity or permeability, reconstituted tobacco, 
faster burning cigarette papers, and reduction of cigarette circumference. 
Figure 1 
Sales-weighted average tar and nicotine yields, 1954-1993 
3.5 
3.0 
2.5 
2.0 
1.5 
1.0 
0.5 
0 
174 
Nicotine Yield (mg/cigarette) 
