Development of a method to estimate mouth-level benzo[a]pyrene intake by filter analysis.

Background: Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is one of the most potent carcinogens generated in cigarette smoke. During smoking, cigarette filters trap a significant portion of mainstream smoke benzo[a]pyrene. This trapped portion is proportional to what exits the end of the filter and is drawn into the mouth of smokers.

Divergence between strength indicators in packaging and cigarette engineering: a case study of Marlboro varieties in Australia and the USA.

Objectives: To investigate how the tobacco industry is adapting to regulatory action in accordance with provisions of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that targets misleading packaging and labelling. To relate the packaging and labelling of new cigarette varieties to their construction and performance.

Methods: The principal design features and tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yields of the Marlboro 'brand family' in Australia were measured and compared with those of the US equivalents.

Estimating smokers' mouth-level exposure to select mainstream smoke constituents from discarded cigarette filter butts.

Introduction: Standardized machine smoking measurements are poor predictors of exposure. We have refined a method using the solanesol deposited in discarded cigarette butts as a marker for estimating deliveries of mainstream smoke constituents. Developing a fast and accurate method for measuring solanesol in cigarette filters to assess tobacco smoke intake could provide a way to assess how people smoke under natural conditions.