Misleading LabelingCigarette brands labeled as “light,” “low-tar,” “smooth” or similar terms are popular in many countries. Often, they are accompanied by labeling showing levels of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide that are lower than in the “regular” cigarette in the same brand family. Research and internal tobacco company documents show that smokers believe that these “light” cigarettes are less harmful than “regular” cigarettes, and that many smokers who are concerned about health switch to “light” cigarettes instead of quitting. Related to this problem is the fact that the testing systems that most countries use to measure tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in cigarette smoke do not accurately measure the level of toxins inhaled by the smoker. These methods (the International Standards Organization, or ISO method and the US Federal Trade Commission, or FTC method) rely on smoking machines that do not behave like most smokers. “Light” and “low-tar” cigarettes do not have lower levels of toxins. They have tiny and often invisible air holes, or vents, in the filters that dilute the levels of toxins that reach the smoking machine. But when smokers smoke “light” or “low-tar” cigarettes, they change their smoking behavior to get the amount of nicotine that their bodies need. For example, they may:
Studies have also shown that smokers of “low-tar” cigarettes are as likely to contract cancer or other diseases as other smokers. For this reason, the WHO has recommended that tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide levels measured by the ISO or FTC (Federal Trade Commission) methods not be provided to smokers, and not be printed on tobacco packages. In addition, the WHO FCTC (Articles 9 & 10) calls on the Conference of the Parties to propose guidelines for the testing, measurement and regulation of the contents and emissions of tobacco products and tobacco smoke. It also calls on parties to the WHO FCTC to implement such testing, measurement and regulation and require ingredient disclosure from tobacco companies. Resources: WHO
recommendations on ISO & and FTC measurement systems Cancer Research UK “Low Tar Exposed” Campaign |