Study: Mild Labels Mislead Smokers

L O N D O N, Jan. 17, 2001 -- Smokers are being lulled into afalse sense of security by "mild" or "light" cigarettes becauseeach puff is packed with more tar and nicotine than they think,scientists said on Tuesday.

New research reported in the Journal of the National CancerInstitute shows smokers of mild brands inhale eight times morenicotine than the amount listed on the packet.

Manufacturers estimate the tar and nicotine content, thecancer-causing and addictive elements of cigarettes, withmachines but levels inhaled by smokers are much higher.

"The conclusion has to be that the tar and nicotine ratingson cigarette packets are not worth the paper they're writtenon," said Professor Martin Jarvis of the Imperial CancerResearch Fund, a leading research charity.

"There is no doubt that they are misleading to consumers,"he said in a telephone interview.

Jarvis and his team used information from the Health Surveyof England to measure levels of cotinine, a by-product ofnicotine, in samples of saliva from more than 2000 adult smokersto determine the levels inhaled.

They found that instead of delivering 0.1 milligram ofnicotine, "ultra low tar" cigarettes gives smokers nearly 1 mgand smokers of regular brands inhaled 1.4 mg of nicotine, notthe 1 mg listed on the packet.

"There is evidence that people who smoke low-yielding brandsare actually more health concerned," Jarvis added. "To thatextent these cigarettes are very unhelpful because they aregiving reassurance which is false."

Compensating for Special Filters

Mild cigarettes have the same type of tobacco as otherbrands but they also include special filters that dilute thenicotine and tar with air.

But Jarvis said smokers can compensate and take in as muchnicotine and tar as they want by sucking harder on the filter,taking bigger puffs or by blocking the filter ventilation holes.

"Whatever means they use and often I think smokers are notalways aware they are doing it, they can end up by generatingfar higher amounts of nicotine and tar from the cigarette," hesaid.

The study also showed people who smoked mild cigarettestended to be older, better educated and female. Overall, thesmokers preferred higher nicotine-yielding cigarettes, accordingto Jarvis.

The amount of nicotine taken in by smokers of both mild andregular cigarettes varied widely, he added.