On 30 August 2006 the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) released a new report entitled Change in Nicotine Yields 1998-2004. This report concludes that the amount of nicotine administered to smokers from one cigarette has increased steadily in the past seven years.
It is scientifically established that increased nicotine levels make it more difficult for the average smoker to quit smoking.
Data was collected from reports submitted to the Massachusetts DPH from 1998 to 2004 from all major tobacco companies. Massachusetts is one of three U.S. states that require tobacco companies to submit this data every year.
Significantly, the report found that nicotine yields have increased ten-fold from 1998 to 2004 and that, as of 2004, all cigarette brands were rated high nicotine. Additionally, the three most popular brands among young people all delivered significantly more nicotine.
Methodologies to test nicotine under question
Traditional methods used by smoking machines has been found to be inadequate because the puff duration is too short, too little smoke is inhaled, and none of the filter ventilation holes is covered. The testing method used by the Massachusetts DPH better simulates the typical smoker’s smoking behaviour. Using MDPH method, the amount of smoke inhaled with each puff is increased and the amount of time between puffs is reduced. In addition, 50% of the cigarette filter is covered.
Testing for nicotine yield using this method revealed levels that are more than twice as high as those found by the historical method. For the typical smoker, ‘low yield’ cigarettes in almost every case deliver moderate to high doses of nicotine.
– New ENSP website – a comprehensive resource on tobacco control