Filter ventilation and nicotine content of tobacco in cigarettes from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States

Objectives-The purpose was to determine filter ventilation and the nicotine content of tobacco and their contribution to machine-smoked yields of ciga rettes from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Methods-Ninety-two brands of cigarettes (32 American, 23 Canadian, and 37 B ritish brands) were purchased at retail outlets in State College, Pennsylva nia, United States, Toronto, Canada, and London, United Kingdom. A FIDUS FD T filter ventilation tester measured the percentage air-dilution from filte r vents. High-pressure, liquid chromatography was used to measure the nicot ine content of tobacco. Regression techniques were used to examine the cont ributions of tobacco nicotine content and filter ventilation to machine-smo ked yields of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide (CO). Results-Ninety-four per cent of the American brands, 91% of the Canadian br ands, and 79% of British brands were ventilated. The total nicotine content of tobacco and percent nicotine (by weight of tobacco) averaged 10.2 mg (s tandard error of the mean (SEM) 0.25, range: 7.2 to 13.4) and 1.5% (SEM 0.0 3, range 1.2 to 2) in the United States, 13.5 mg (SEM 0.49, range: 8.0 to 1 8.3) and 1.8% (SEM 0.06, range: 1.0 to 2.4) in Canada, 12.5 mg (SEM 0.33, r ange: 9 to 17.5) and 1.7% (SEM 0.04, range: 1.3 to 2.4) in the United Kingd om. Multiple regression analyses showed that ventilation was by far the lar gest factor influencing machine-smoked yields of tar, nicotine, and CO. Conclusion-Filter ventilation appears to be the predominant method for redu cing machine-smoked yields of tar, nicotine, and CO in three countries. How ever, some brands contain about twice as much nicotine (total content or pe rcent nicotine) as do others, indicating that tobacco types or blends and t obacco casings can be used to manipulate nicotine content and nicotine deli very of cigarettes.