Estimates of maximum or average cigarette tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yields can be obtained from yields under standard conditions

Abstract

Average yields of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide per liter of smoke and per cigarette were determined for 10 brands of cigarettes smoked under 27 different conditions (one standard and 26 nonstandard). Per cigarette yields were highly variable across smoking conditions due to differences in the total volume of smoke taken for analysis. The results of a simple linear regression analysis indicated that up to 95% of the variation in tar yield per cigarette could be explained by variations in the total volume of smoke produced per cigarette. Per liter yields for tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide were almost constant over the conditions investigated. Since most smokers inhale less than this amount, yields per liter provide a rough estimate of the maximum amount to which a smoker might be exposed. Yields per liter, taken over all 26 conditions, are highly correlated with per cigarette yields under standard conditions. Consequently, values on one scale can be converted to the other, at least for the 10 brands investigated. The average conversion factor for tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide is 2.5 when proceeding from milligrams per king-size cigarette under standard conditions to milligrams per liter. This relationship is true for both vented and nonvented cigarettes when ventilation holes are not blocked.