Recent Increases in Efficiency in Cigarette Nicotine Delivery: Implications for Tobacco Control

Introduction: Recent increases in nicotine yield of cigarettes sold in United States have been attributed by tobacco manufacturers to natural variation in agricultural products. We tested this assertion using the data reported by the manufacturers. Dunhill Fine Cut Blue

Methods: Data were collected from the annual report filed with Massachusetts Department of Public Health by 4 major manufacturers of cigarettes from 1997 to 2012. Reportable measures included nicotine yield (mg/cig) in smoke generated by a smoking machine based on the Massachusetts smoking regimen and nicotine content in the unburned tobacco per cigarette (mg/cig). We used multilevel linear mixed-effect models to examine temporal trends in and predictors of these measures, overall and by brand style and brand family.

Results: While nicotine content remained relatively stable in the range of 12–14mg/cig between 1998 and 2012, average nicotine yield increased significantly (p < .01) over time and ranged from the lowest level of 1.65mg/cigarette in 1999 and the highest level of 1.89mg/cigarette in 2011. Nicotine yield and yield-to-content ratio varied significantly among manufacturers and brand families. When controlling for market category and all available design features, the yield-to-content ratio of all manufacturers except Lorillard increased significantly over time.

Conclusions: The data provided by tobacco manufacturers suggest that the increasing trend in yield is not related to variations in nicotine content but to the yield-to-content ratio, contradicting their assertions of agricultural variations. Nicotine yield and yield-to-content ratio are controllable features of cigarettes, and should be monitored and regulated by government agencies.

Second hand smoke is deadly and yet children are often exposed to it. Florida lawmakers are trying to limit their exposure in at least one place. A new law would ban smoking in the car with a child present. Eight states have smoking bans in private vehicles when a child is present. Florida lawmakers are pushing to make the Sunshine state the next on the list. "Smoking, its been demonstrated as certainly harmful for people's health." Six out of every ten children are exposed to secondhand smoke. Now state lawmakers say a change is needed to protect those under "We have a responsibility, I think as a society to protect our children who cannot make these decisions about whether to smoke or not." Registered Nurse Sandy Grischy says secondhand smoke is dangerous, especially for those still in the developmental stage. "Carcinogens are those pieces that affect our DNA and that's where the potential for cancer arises." It's second hand smoke is responsible for nearly 300-thousand cases of bronchitis and pneumonia annually." Grischy is working to educate Floridians on the dangers of secondhand smoke. "Someone who's in a car for about an hour, if someone's smoking a cigarette and they're not, it's equivalent to smoking about three cigarettes." One loophole in the proposal: police would have to stop you for something else before you could be ticketed for smoking in a car with a child present. Another anti smoking bill would give local authorities the ability to ban smoking at playgrounds when a child is present.

Read More at: http://www.weartv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/health-news-secondhand-smoke-children-40337.shtml

Second hand smoke is deadly and yet children are often exposed to it. Florida lawmakers are trying to limit their exposure in at least one place. A new law would ban smoking in the car with a child present. Eight states have smoking bans in private vehicles when a child is present. Florida lawmakers are pushing to make the Sunshine state the next on the list. "Smoking, its been demonstrated as certainly harmful for people's health." Six out of every ten children are exposed to secondhand smoke. Now state lawmakers say a change is needed to protect those under "We have a responsibility, I think as a society to protect our children who cannot make these decisions about whether to smoke or not." Registered Nurse Sandy Grischy says secondhand smoke is dangerous, especially for those still in the developmental stage. "Carcinogens are those pieces that affect our DNA and that's where the potential for cancer arises." It's second hand smoke is responsible for nearly 300-thousand cases of bronchitis and pneumonia annually." Grischy is working to educate Floridians on the dangers of secondhand smoke. "Someone who's in a car for about an hour, if someone's smoking a cigarette and they're not, it's equivalent to smoking about three cigarettes." One loophole in the proposal: police would have to stop you for something else before you could be ticketed for smoking in a car with a child present. Another anti smoking bill would give local authorities the ability to ban smoking at playgrounds when a child is present.

Read More at: http://www.weartv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/health-news-secondhand-smoke-children-40337.shtml