Introduction In 2011 menthol cigarettes accounted for 32 percent of the market in the United States, but there are few literature reports that provide measured menthol data for commercial cigarettes. To assess current menthol application levels in the U.S. cigarette market, menthol levels in cigarettes labeled or not labeled to contain menthol was determined for a variety of contemporary domestic cigarette products. Method We measured the menthol content of 45whole cigarettes using a validated gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method (GC/MS). Results In 23 cigarette brands labeled as menthol products, the menthol levels of the whole cigarette ranged from 2.9 to 19.6 mg/cigarette, with three products having higher levels of menthol relative to the other menthol products. The menthol levels for 22 cigarette products not labeled to contain menthol ranged from 0.002 to 0.07 mg/cigarette. The type of packaging (soft vs. hard pack) for a given cigarette product does not appear to affect menthol levels based on the current limited data. Conclusion Menthol levels in cigarette products labeled as containing menthol are approximately 50 to 5,000-fold higher than those in cigarette products not labeled as containing menthol. In general, menthol content appears to occur within discrete ranges for both mentholated and non-mentholated cigarettes.
Introduction Studies have evaluated the role of menthol cigarettes on various addiction-related outcomes; however, the effect of varying menthol content on these outcomes has not been evaluated. We developed a method to amend non-menthol SPECTRUM Research Cigarettes to contain menthol at 4 different levels. Methods SPECTRUM Research Cigarettes, NRC 600 (0.8 mg nicotine; 10 mg tar), were modified to contain target menthol amounts at 3, 6, and 12 mg/cigarette by injecting 25 µL ethanol/triacetin/menthol solutions of varying concentrations (120 mg menthol/mL, 240 mg/mL, and 480 mg/mL) into 4 distinct locations in the filter and tobacco rod. Menthol content was tested in triplicate in the whole cigarette and in the tobacco rod and filter at 1, 24, 48, and 72 hr for each target menthol level using an extraction solution of quinoline in methyl-tert-butyl ether and measured using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Results Injections into the filter and tobacco rod (12.5 µL each) yielded equal menthol distribution up to 72 hr. However, total menthol content decreased from an average of 90.3% of the target menthol concentration at 1 hr to 80.7% at 72 hr in cigarettes stored individually in glass tubes at room temperature. Analysis of urinary menthol glucuronide confirmed that amended cigarettes used within 24 hr of injection delivered dose-related menthol levels to participants in a clinical laboratory setting. Conclusion This method can be used to modify cigarettes with a range of reliable menthol levels in both filter and tobacco rod for use in laboratory and clinical research. Implications This study presents a technique for modifying cigarettes with different levels of menthol that can reliably deliver dose-related menthol levels to participants when smoked in a clinical study. The technique can be used to quickly amend cigarettes to examine the independent effects of varying flavor and additive levels on smoking behavior, nicotine pharmacokinetics, mainstream smoke emissions, and other laboratory or clinical research outcomes.
Mainstream smoke yields of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and three aromatic amines, 1-aminonaphthalene, 2aminonaphthalene, and 4-aminobiphenyl, from 60 little cigar brands currently on the US market were measured for both International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Canadian Intense (CI) smoking regimens. The smoke yields are compared with those from 50 cigarette products measured by Counts et al. of Philip Morris USA (PMUSA) in 2005 [Counts et al. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 2005 41, 185−227] and 50 cigarette products measured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012 [Tynan et al. Consumption of Cigarettes and Combustible Tobacco: United States, 2000−2011. In Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012; 565−580].For the little cigars, the average HCN yield with the ISO smoking regimen is 335 μg/cigar (range: 77−809 μg/cigar), which is 332% higher than the average of 50 PMUSA 2005 cigarettes and 243% higher than the average of 50 CDC/FDA 2012 cigarettes. For the CI smoking regimen, the average HCN yield is 619 μg/cigar (range: 464−1045 μg/cigar), which is 70.5% higher than the average of 50 PMUSA 2005 cigarettes and 69% higher than the average of the 50 CDC/FDA 2012 cigarettes. For aromatic amines, the average ISO smoking regimen smoke yields are 36.6 ng/cigar (range: 15.9−70.6 ng/cigar) for 1-aminonaphthalene, 24.6 ng/cigar (range: 12.3−36.7 ng/ cigar) for 2-aminonaphthalene, and 5.6 ng/cigar (range: 2.3−17.2 ng/cigar) for 4-aminobiphenyl. The average ISO yields of aromatic amines from little cigars are 141% to 210% higher compared to the average yields of 50 PMUSA cigarettes. The average CI smoke regimen yields are 73.0 ng/cigar (range: 32.1−112.2 ng/cigar) for 1-aminonaphthalene, 45.2 ng/cigar (range: 24.6−74.8 ng/ cigar) for 2-aminonaphthalene, and 12.7 ng/cigar (range: 5.5−37.5 ng/cigar) for 4-aminobiphenyl. The average CI aromatic amine yields are 143% to 220% higher compared to the average yields of 50 PMUSA cigarettes, almost identical to the relative yields under the ISO smoking regimen. Both HCN and aromatic amine yields are 1.5× to 3× higher for the tested little cigars than for the conventional cigarettes; however, there are notable differences in the relationships of these yields to certain product characteristics, such as weight, ventilation, and tobacco type. The higher smoke yields of these compounds from little cigars indicates that cigar smokers may be at risk of a higher exposure to HCN and aromatic amines on a per stick basis and thus increased health concerns.
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