The Cigarette Papers "d0e3521"

Views Of Nicotine In 1984

In June 1984 a three-day technical exchange meeting on nicotine was held in Southampton. The summary of the meeting appears in a set of notes for the 1984 BAT research conference in the United Kingdom {1181.07}. The summary is reproduced below in its entirety because it shows very clearly the importance of nicotine for the normal, expected functioning of a cigarette in the opinion of BAT scientists only a decade ago.

The main conclusions reached were:—

a)	Plasma nicotine/cotinine measurements can give reliable estimates of the nicotine uptake by groups of smokers, and with suitable precautions, by an individual smoker. Many smokers appear to obtain 12–14 mg. of nicotine per day from their cigarettes.
b)	Cigarettes which have a delivery of less than 0.7 mg. of nicotine per cigarette[,] as measured on a smoking machine, do not achieve large volume sales.
c)	Providing smoke is inhaled—even shallow inhalation—95% of the nicotine is retained.
d)	Intuitively it is felt that "satisfaction" must be related to nicotine. Many people believe it a "whole body response" and involves the action of nicotine in the brain.

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e)	Although many smokers appear to approach a plateau or constant level of nicotine in the blood, it is not known:
	(i)	whether a smoker feels the need for another cigarette when his blood level falls significantly below this plateau level
or	(ii)	whether the smoker is seeking the more transient peak levels super-imposed upon the general plateau level.
f)	If level in the brain is the key feature, we have little idea at present on the relationship between blood levels/pattern and those in the brain.
g)	An immediate sensory affect [sic ] associated with nicotine is the "impact" on inhaling. Is this sensation a genuine part of the reward a smoker is seeking or is it a "cue," i.e. a smoker has learnt by experience, that if he perceives a particular level of impact, he will subsequently receive an acceptable degree of satisfaction.
h)	If we are to make better use in product terms of the levels of nicotine in smoke currently available—and even more so if we are forced to market cigarettes with reduced levels of nicotine—then it is important to significantly increase our understanding of impact/satisfaction.

There is an urgent need for experimental cigarettes in which the levels of nicotine in smoke (and smoke pH) are carefully controlled [emphasis in original]. {1181.07}

This summary indicates that BAT scientists had a sophisticated and up-to-date understanding of nicotine and its role in smoking behavior. The importance of smoke pH in designing an effective product at lower nicotine deliveries is apparent. Satisfaction is described as being related to the effects of nicotine on the body, especially on the brain, and the importance of inhalation is emphasized. This is the only place where we have seen a definition of the term "satisfaction" offered by tobacco company personnel. In most instances the term's meaning in relationship to the pharmacological effects of cigarette smoke must be inferred. Here it is explicit.

The discussion held at this technical exchange were reviewed in detail at the joint R&D/marketing conference in Montreal in July 1984. Both the notes summarizing the technical exchange and the minutes of the discussion mention the importance of considering nicotine levels in product design {1226.01, pp. 61–63}. The minutes note,

[An] improvement in our understanding of nicotine action is of major importance for future product development. {1226.01, p. 63}

At this same meeting, G. A. Read, Group Leader, Smoker Behaviour, GR & DC, at Imperial Tobacco, gave a fairly technical presentation on the constituents of smoke that affect product design, acceptability, and smoking satisfaction. It is clear from this material, presented at a mar-

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keting conference, that BAT appreciated the key role of nicotine in selling cigarettes. The talk focused primarily on the role of nicotine in smoking behavior and included slides on nicotine absorption and pharmacology. In contrast to public statements made by the tobacco companies, Read's slides note:

strong indirect evidence for smokers smoking nicotine

...

underlying smoking maintenance through nicotine, and as a consequence nicotine probably provides the basis of smoking satisfaction

in its simplest sense puffing behavior is the means of providing nicotine dose in a metered fashion {1224.01, pp. 46–47}

Read concluded by suggesting that the minimum dose requirement for nicotine to maintain smoking behavior should be determined and that product quality and satisfaction would be enhanced if this minimum dose of nicotine were provided.