Tobacco Documents Online

LETTER TO THE EDITOR, BOSTON GLOBE June 26,, 1978 -''Tair' may be down; I~n'g cancer isn~t The May 8 Globe article suggestingg a high risk of' smoking-related disease associated with low-tar cigarettes re- quires clarification. Our study at Harvard CTniversityevaIuated'y smoking, behavior, ' with cigarettes low only in nicotine, not low i,n tar. It is unclear why people smoke. Several studies indidate that smoking results from a variety of factors. Al- though nicotine, a pharmacologically active component in, smoke; reduces `tension in many individuals, it is con,, troversiallwhether smokers,have a true. .nicotine dependency..Other non-nuco- e tine fartors;may: be, equally important and include the ritual of' manipulating cigarettes in the hands and, lips, self= imagery gratification, enhancement' of sociability, unification of'interpersonat interactions, and severall sensory condi-, tions, including taste, smelll andl visuall biofeedback. It is uncertain that people smoke to self-regulate their, nicotine needs. Sup, -pl'emental administration of' nicotinee by chewing gum or other means does: not necessarily reduce a smoker's con- sumption, of: cigarettes_ Furthermore, over the, pasttwo decades there has been alreduction in tar content of com- mercial cigarettes. As tar -content is reduced4 so too for the most part i's nicotine: Although average tar leaels ~ . are today' less than half of what they Boston . _ .. , i, -.~ Director• ' .'Lobacco and Health Researcli. were in the early 1950's, the number of cigarettes smoked, either in total aggre;: gate, or on an individual~ basis, has not doubled. ; Based on the development, of skinj, eancers produced by painting cigarette smoke on the skin of mice, some indi-% vidhals have suggested tar reduetioni , produces a "less hazardous" cigarette., Whether such studies are applicable to: lung cancer in humans is questionablea In, the 20 years aver which tar, delivery' of' eommercial cigarettes has been~ re-:: ducedi by half; the prevalence of lung; cancer, allegedty.due to tar in cigarette;, smoke, has not been reduced'. . __... ~ Our studies, as well as ot'hers,, sug-'. gest that althaugh the amount of smoke inhaled (number of puffs per cigarette;; depth of puff volume) does- not d'tf'fer; when nicotine is lowered'4 the pattern iofi smoking may change. Smokers may~ keep low-nicotine smoke in their lungs~, longer, and this may resultin aidiffer-," entt deposition,. pattern of' the smok® within the airways. This could cause a difference in tobacco-related' disease susceptibility, and, is a, consid'eratiow that requires further evaluation. GARY L. HU'BER,WD. _ Program •. H'arvard ~, LTniversi t~t: