No such thing as “safe” cigarettes

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJul 26 2010

In a new development a 12-member US panel is debating over the issue of menthol cigarettes being more addictive. If the results go against the cigarettes Australia too will have to ban the sale of such cigarettes. This would mean a significant loss to Alpine cigarettes and imported brands such as Kool, Virginia Slims and Salem.

Campaigners have been harping on the fact that menthol coats the throat with a “mild anesthetic” or has numbing effect and encourages young people, especially women, to take up smoking.

Studies have shown that;

• Smokers who use light cigarettes do not reduce their risk for developing smoking-related cancers and other diseases.
• Switching to light cigarettes does not help smokers quit. Actually the drive to quit may be reduced with the use of light cigarettes.

According to University of Sydney professor of public health Simon Chapman, Australia has not regulated the use of any tobacco additives and use of legal substances.

According to internal tobacco company reports chemists were adding ammonia to cigarettes that makes the penetration of nicotine into brain more rapid helping to hook smokers faster. Professor Chapman said the companies were not revealing the addition of ammonia and other substances to the cigarettes under an innocent name of “processing aids”. Professor Chapman was the 2008 NSW Premier's Cancer Researcher of the Year. He said, “The real issue here is whether it is sensible to allow tobacco companies to add ingredients that will make tobacco products more palatable to young smokers when they're first starting off.” For example he said, menthol was said to be used to “reduce the harshness of cigarette smoke and to cool the throat.” If all components are revealed in the packaging, Australia would become the first country in the world to force generic packaging on tobacco companies.

However a spokesman for Phillip Morris Australia said it was still too early to say whether there would be a legal action from tobacco companies to stop generic packaging. According to British American Tobacco Australia spokeswoman legislation might come in next year. She said that it would “defend the intellectual property which lies in our packaging. If that requires us to take legal action, then we will do so.”

According to the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, signed into law in 2009, there is a prohibition of use of terms like “light”, “low, or “mild. From June 22, 2010, the law prohibits manufacturers from producing any tobacco products labeled or advertised as "light," "low," "mild," or any other similar descriptor. However manufacturers are permitted to distribute existing products until July 21.