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“A reanalysis of nicotine yield from major brand name cigarettes
sold in Massachusetts from 1997 to 2005 has confirmed that manufacturers
have steadily increased the levels of this agent in cigarettes.”
“The analysis was performed by a research team from the Tobacco Control Research Program at HSPH led by program director Gregory Connolly, professor of the practice of public health, and Howard Koh, associate dean for public health practice at HSPH.”
“Said Connolly: ‘Our findings call into serious question whether the tobacco industry has changed at all in its pursuit of addicting smokers since signing the Master Settlement Agreement of 1998 with the State Attorneys General. Our analysis shows that the companies have been subtly increasing the drug nicotine year by year in their cigarettes, without any warning to consumers, since the settlement.’”
Source: Harvard School of Public Health
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“However, the new study confirming that cigarette companies have been steadily increasing levels of addictive nicotine in its cigarettes could change the way the government deals with the tobacco industry.
“And some public health experts suggest the findings may also lead the public into another round of litigation against cigarette companies.
“The study by the Harvard School of Public Health, published in the current issue of the medical journal Lancet, shows that manufacturers increased nicotine levels in their products by close to 11 percent between 1997 and 2005.”
“Jacobson, who believes ‘the chances are high’ that litigation will also result from these findings, says the tobacco companies may be faced with an uphill battle when it comes to defending the increase in nicotine content in their products.
“‘It seems to me that this kind of action will potentially lead to product liability litigation or some type of class action deceptive marketing claim,’ he says. ‘The industry will have a difficult time explaining to a jury why it was OK to add additional nicotine after saying to the public how concerned it was with public health.’”
Cigarettes are finely tuned drug delivery devices, designed to perpetuate a tobacco pandemic,’ said Howard Koh, an associate dean for public health practice who worked on the analysis. ‘Yet precise information about these products remains shrouded in secrecy, hidden from the public.’”
“‘There’s something going on either with the type of tobacco they're using or the addition of more nicotine to the reconstituted tobacco. We just don't know,’ Connolly said.”
Source: ABCNews.com
