Derek Mariner

Post-puff respiration measures on smokers of different tar yield cigarettes

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different tar yield cigarette brands on the post-puff inhalation/exhalation depth and duration for established smokers of the brands. The study was conducted with 74 established smokers of 1-17 mg Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tar products. The subjects were participating in a five-day inpatient clinical biomarker study during which time they were allowed to smoke their own brand of cigarette whenever they wished. On two separate days, the subjects’ breathing pattern was measured using respiratory inductive plethysmography while they smoked one cigarette. This enabled the measurement of the post-puff inhalation volume, exhalation volume, inhalation duration, and exhalation duration for each subject after each puff on two of their own brand of cigarettes. The subjects were grouped according to the FTC tar yield of their product: 1–3 mg; 4–6 mg; 7–13 mg; 14 + mg. The post-puff inhalation volume for the 4–6 mg group was significantly lower than both the 7–13 mg and 14+ mg groups, and the 4–6 mg group exhalation volume was significantly lower than the 14+ mg group (p < 0.05). No other differences were found at the 95% confidence level. When volumes were normalized to resting tidal volume (tidal ratio), there were no differences between the groups for any of the respiratory measures. No significant slope was found for correlations with FTC tar yield for inhalation volume (p = 0.11, mean = 833 mL, R = 0.19), inhalation tidal ratio (p = 0.93, mean = 1.73, R = −0.01) or lung exposure time (p = 0.92, mean = 4.1 s, R = −0.01).

Assessment of novel tobacco heating product THP1.0. Part 3: Comprehensive chemical characterisation of harmful and potentially harmful aerosol emissions

ABSTRACT For a tobacco heating product (THP), which heats rather than burns tobacco, the emissions of toxicants in the aerosol were compared with those in cigarette smoke under a machine‐puffing regimen of puff volume 55 ml, puff duration 2 s and puff interval 30 s. The list of toxicants included those proposed by Health Canada, the World Health Organization Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation (TobReg), the US Food and Drug Administration and possible thermal breakdown products. In comparison to the University of Kentucky 3R4F reference cigarette the toxicant levels in the THP1.0 emissions were significantly reduced across all chemical classes. For the nine toxicants proposed by TobReg for mandated reduction in cigarette emissions, the mean reductions in THP1.0 aerosol were 90.6–99.9% per consumable with an overall average reduction of 97.1%. For the abbreviated list of harmful and potentially harmful constituents of smoke specified by the US Food and Drug Administration Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee for reporting in cigarette smoke (excluding nicotine), reductions in the aerosol of THP1.0 were 84.6–99.9% per consumable with an overall average reduction of 97.5%. HighlightsTHP1.0, which heats rather than burns tobacco, was compared with 3R4F cigarette.Harmful and potentially harmful constituents were measured in the aerosols and compared.Toxicants in the aerosol of THP1.0 were substantially lower than in 3R4F smoke.Reduction averaged 96.1 per cent for nine substances prioritised for lowering in cigarettes.Reduction averaged 96.8 per cent for 18 substances prioritised by the US FDA.

Smoking intensity before and after introduction of the public place smoking ban in Scotland

A study was performed to determine whether cigarettes were smoked more intensely outside of public venues in Scotland, compared to indoors, after introduction of the public place smoking (PPS) ban. It was conducted in three waves: before the ban, immediately after and 6 months after introduction. The study included 322 regular smokers of four cigarette brand variants. Filter analysis measurements were used to estimate the human-smoked yields of tar and nicotine from cigarettes smoked predominantly inside (before the ban) or outside (after the ban) public venues. Self-reported cigarette consumption data were also collected. Numbers of cigarettes smoked indoors in public places fell dramatically after the ban. There was a corresponding rise in smoking incidence in outdoor public locations. The ban did not significantly affect the total number of cigarettes smoked by the subjects over the weekends investigated. Human-smoked yields of tar and nicotine decreased slightly after the introduction of the ban and some reductions were significant. Therefore, smoking outdoors at public venues, following the PPS ban, did not increase smoking intensity. Any changes in smoking behaviour that may have occurred had little effect on mainstream smoke exposure or cigarette consumption for those that continued to smoke.

A review of the UK methodology used for monitoring cigarette smoke yields, aspects of analytical data variability and their impact on current and future regulatory compliance

The European Union (EU) requires that tobacco products are regulated by Directive 2001/37/EC through testing and verification of results on the basis of standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In 2007, the European Commission provided guidance to EU Member States by issuing criteria for competent laboratories which includes accreditation to ISO 17025:2005. Another criterion requires regular laboratory participation in collaborative studies that predict the measurement tolerance that must be observed to conclude that test results on any particular product are different. However, differences will always occur when comparing overall data across products between different laboratories. A forum for technical discussion between laboratories testing products as they are manufactured and a Government appointed verification laboratory gives transparency, ensures consistency and reduces apparent compliance issues to the benefit of all parties. More than 30years ago, such a forum was set up in the UK that continued until 2007 and will be described in this document. Anticipating further testing requirements in future product regulation as proposed by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, cooperation between accredited laboratories, whether for testing or verification, should be established to share know-how, to ensure a standardised level of quality and to offer competent technical dialogue in the best interest of regulators and manufacturers alike.

Accurate measurement of main aerosol constituents from heated tobacco products (HTPs): Implications for a fundamentally different aerosol.

ABSTRACT ISO 4387 Standard determines the main aerosol constituents (total particulate matter, water, nicotine, and nicotine‐free‐dry‐particulate matter, referred to as “tar”) in cigarette mainstream smoke (ISO, 2000). Heated Tobacco Products (also called Tobacco Heating Products or Heat‐not‐Burn Products) are designed to form aerosol by heating tobacco rather than burning like in combustible cigarettes. In this study we have evaluated the suitability of ISO 4387 Standard to be adapted for quantifying main aerosol constituents for HTP aerosol. HTP emissions have much higher levels of water and humectants (e.g., glycerol) in dynamic equilibria between gaseous and particulate phases. Several modifications to ISO 4387 Standard on aerosol collection were tested to improve the accuracy and reliability of aerosol capturing, with minimal deviation to the standard method. The proposed modifications are readily adoptable by laboratories already practicing the Standard for cigarette smoke analyses. Taking collectively with other available aerosol chemistry and biological results on HTPs in the literature, they show a fundamentally different aerosol in HTPs and call for category‐specific product standards and terminology. HighlightsHeated tobacco products (HTPs) are an emerging category for regulatory consideration.HTP emissions differ fundamentally to smoke in its aerosol constituents, e.g., water.The differences are considered and measures are tested to improve ISO 4387 Standard for HTP testing.Satisfactory assessment of nicotine‐free‐dry‐particulate‐matter for HTPs based on improved method is presented.The results add to the body of evidence demonstrating different physiochemical properties of HTP aerosol.