Chapter 21 Low tar and nicotine cigarettes: health and safety

issues

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A major concern is that although machine-measured yields of tar and nicotine from

cigarettes are lower in today's cigarettes than in those marketed in the 1950s, low

yield cigarettes have little or no beneficial impact on health; indeed, smokers face a

greater risk of dying from smoking-attributable disease than they did 40 years ago.

Analysis of data collected from five of the world's largest epidemiological studies on

smoking and health revealed that while the average tar level per cigarette has

dropped by 70% since 1955, the relative risks for all smoking-related causes of

deaths increased, the likely reason being that in order to obtain the same dose of

nicotine smokers smoke more cigarettes and inhale more deeply. The risk of lung

cancer doubled (from 11.9 to 23.2) in smokers overall, but was quadrupled for women

(from 2.7 to 12.9). The increase in relative risk between the two generations of

smokers is due to a greater lifetime dose of cigarette smoke; a result of starting

smoking earlier in life (this was true especially for women) or because smokers are

now smoking more cigarettes more intensively. These results are particularly worrying

as most smokers believe that low tar and low nicotine cigarettes reduce the health

risks associated with smoking. Moreover, the false sense of security generated by

low tar and low nicotine cigarettes has increased the overall market of smokers; there

would be far fewer smokers today, given public awareness of smoking related risks,

if the unfiltered cigarettes of the 1950s were the only choice available.

Quote from UICC/International Union Against

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Thursday, July 06, 2000

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