Urinary cotinine levels of smokeless tobacco (Maras powder) users

Smokeless tobacco is used in various forms in some countries of the world. "Maras otu" is a kind of smokeless tobacco usage in the Southeastern region of Turkey. The use of smokeless tobacco causes nicotine addiction and depe ndence. Moreover this type of smokeless tobacco usage is one of the risk fa ctors for oral cancers and genotoxic damages for users. Cotinine is widely used as a biomarker of tobacco consumption and intake of nicotine. Therefor e, urine samples were collected from people who are using Maras powder and smoking cigarettes, and passive smokers, and the levels of cotinine investi gated. The purpose of this study is to determine the cotinine levels of Mar as powder users and to compare the results with cigarette smokers and passi ve smokers. Urinary cotinine levels of subjects were determined by using ca pillary gas chromatography with FID detection. The mean (+/-SD) urinary cot inines have been determined as 6467.35 +/- 3198 mug/g creatinine for 26 Mar as powder users, 1943.92 +/- 1443 mug/g creatinine for 26 cigarette smokers and 198.62 +/- 420.82 mug/g creatinine for 26 passive smokers. A significa nt difference has been found between cotinine levels of Maras powder users and cigarette smokers, which is three times higher in Maras powder users (p < 0.001). The present study suggests that smokeless tobacco poses a threat to public health and it should not be viewed as a safe alternative to ciga rettes.