Analysis reveals tobacco getting is more addictive

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Nicotine content of cigarettes has gone up, which increases the risk to smokers.
Cigarette smoking causes around 438,000 deaths each year in the USA and each year nearly a million people become addicted to tobacco. While it is cigarette smoke that harms health, it is the nicotine content of a cigarette than makes it so addictive. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health collects data on nicotine content and cigarette design from manufacturers each year as part of its tobacco control program. Harvard School of Public Health has now carried out an analysis of this data.

They say that nicotine yield of cigarettes has gone up by around 11 per cent from 1997 to 2005. This has been done by intensifying the concentration of nicotine in the cigarette and also by changing its design. The smoker now gets more puffs per cigarette than previously. These changes have been made without informing the public and appear designed to keep people addicted to tobacco. The researchers say these findings underline the need for stricter legislation on tobacco control.

Source
Harvard School of Public Health 18th January 2007