The Effects of Filter Ventilation and Expanded Tobacco on the Tar, Nicotine and Carbon Monoxide Yields from Cigarettes Sold in Australia

Wendy R. Winnall (), Ashleigh Haynes, Walther Klerx, Ingrid M. E. Bakker-‘t Hart, Caroline Versluis, Niels M. Leijten, Emily Brennan, Reinskje Talhout and Melanie A. Wakefield
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Wendy R. Winnall: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
Ashleigh Haynes: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
Walther Klerx: Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Ingrid M. E. Bakker-‘t Hart: Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Caroline Versluis: Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Niels M. Leijten: Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Emily Brennan: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
Reinskje Talhout: Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Melanie A. Wakefield: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 22, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Cigarette brand variant names and characteristics such as the taste and feel of the smoke can mislead consumers into believing some products are less harmful. We assessed the characteristics of three common cigarette variants sold in Australia, “gold”, “blue” and “red”, to determine which characteristics differed by color, and which affected tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide (TNCO) yields. TNCO yields, physical parameters, expanded tobacco and filter ventilation were measured in cigarette color variants from eight brands. Filter ventilation and expanded tobacco were common across brands and variants. Compared to blue and red variants, gold variants had slightly shorter tobacco rods and greater filter ventilation. Gold variants had lower TNCO when measured using the industry-favored International Organization for Standardization (ISO) protocol. ISO-measured TNCO yields were associated with filter ventilation and tobacco rod length, but not use of expanded tobacco. When measured using the Health Canada Intensive (HCI) protocol, which better emulates human smoking behavior, TNCO emissions were markedly higher, and the emission differences by extent of filter ventilation were minimized, indicating that ISO measurements are misleading. These findings confirm that cigarette color names, and the filter ventilation levels they signify, remain misleading more than a decade after plain packaging eliminated pack colors in Australia, as higher levels of filter ventilation are not associated with reduced TNCO emissions measured using the HCI protocol. Consumer education and communication campaigns could amplify the impacts of Australia’s newly passed tobacco legislation banning color and other variant names that imply reduced harm.

Keywords: tobacco; nicotine; cigarette; filter ventilation; expanded tobacco; tar; carbon monoxide; misperceptions; brand variant; Health Canada Intensive (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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