Introduction and Aims: It is beyond any doubt that nicotine yield in cigarettes as determined using standard ISO method bears almost no relation to smokers' actual intake. However, the ISO method is still in use in many countries where the government is responsible for controlling and monitoring cigarette quality. The aim of the study was to measure the nicotine yield in single cigarettes and to evaluate their statistical distribution among the same brand. Materials and methods: Nicotine yields were measured according to the ISO method in single cigarettes of the twenty most popular Polish brands of cigarettes. Results: Relative standard deviation of nicotine yields in single cigarettes of the same brands varied from 16% to 34%. Relative differences between nicotine yields in a single cigarette of a particular brand and the mean value varied from –65% to +76%. Discussion and Conclusions: The results indicate high variation in nicotine yields between cigarettes of the same brand. Such variation might affect compensatory smoking. This provides another reason why yields estimated using the standard ISO method are potentially misleading to smokers. Further studies are needed to better understand the implications of within-brand variability in yields for tobacco product regulation.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the more toxic agents present in the gas phase of second-hand tobacco smoke. There is sufficient evidence suggesting that passive smokers are involuntarily poisoned by low CO concentrations. At lower doses, CO affects the central nervous system leading to deterioration in visual perception, manual dexterity, learning, driving performance, and attention level. The effects of chronic inhalation of CO at doses corresponding to tobacco smoking on the cardiovascular system are not well investigated but might involve myocardial hypertrophy and arrhythmias. In people with pre-existing disease, CO pollution alone may result in increased morbidity and mortality. In the study CO levels were monitored in 22 Polish pubs. The temporary CO concentration varied in examined pubs from 0 to 33.11 ppm. The average 8-hours CO concentration varied from 0.21 to 10.20 ppm. Nine percent of pubs exceeded the WHO or EU limit value at some point during the monitoring process. The average weekly CO concentration in all examined microenvironments varied from 0 to 4.80 ppm. The most important factor influencing CO concentration was air-exchange through open doors and windows. In pubs where doors and windows were closed, the following statistical important factors influencing CO concentration were found: 1. the number of smokers present in the pub, 2. the pub’s capaciousness, and 3. and the pub’s location. The results of the study show that second-hand tobacco smoke is a significant source of CO in Polish pubs. Passive smokers in Polish pubs might be exposed to very high CO concentration exceeding EU reference value.
- MeSH
- centrální nervový systém účinky léků MeSH
- Evropská unie MeSH
- financování organizované MeSH
- kardiovaskulární nemoci etiologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- oxid uhelnatý izolace a purifikace škodlivé účinky toxicita MeSH
- referenční standardy MeSH
- restaurace statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- statistika jako téma MeSH
- větrání metody statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- znečištění tabákovým kouřem analýza statistika a číselné údaje škodlivé účinky MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Polsko MeSH
