Smokers in New Zealand are taking in more nicotine than Australians says a new study. The study found that smokers there have a distinct preference for high nicotine containing brands of cigarettes and have the greatest average amount of tar exposure out of 5,703 smokers in eight countries. Where Australians took 1.36mg of nicotine per cigarette, New Zealanders took in 1.62mg.
Some of the differences between countries have been attributed to difference in the tobacco leaves from which the cigarettes are made. However both Australia and New Zealand get their cigarettes from tobacco grown in Australia so that factor gets nullified.
Christchurch public health specialist Dr. Murray Laugesen said preference for high nicotine brands and also sucking in more vigorously may be reasons for such findings.
The study was conducted by international company, British American Tobacco. They tested nearly 80,000 butts supplied from smoked cigarettes by smokers in eight countries. Fifteen cigarette brands were tested in each country, to reflect the range available. It is published in the online edition of the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology.
The Commerce Commission in 2008 earlier in 2008 had moved to remove adjectives like ‘mild’ or light’ from addictive cigarettes to desist people from smoking since there was actually no ‘safe’ form of smoking. Researchers in New Zealand, alarmed by these findings have urged the Government to make nicotine cuts in cigarettes sold here. They have asked for lower levels of nicotine till it ceases to be addictive.
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