Nation IN BRIEF : NATIONWIDE : ‘Light’ Cigarette Risks Questioned

Smokers of cigarettes labeled low in nicotine or tar may be inhaling more of those substances than they think. Federal officials and health experts blame the discrepancy on the machines that measure nicotine and tar, the New York Times reported. They say the machines do not accurately reflect how much a smoker inhales, because smokers of “light” cigarettes often draw deeper to compensate for the milder taste. “We know that consumers do not smoke in exactly the same manner as the machine,” said Judith D. Wilkenfeld of the Federal Trade Commission’s Division of Advertising Practices. Cigarettes labeled low in tar and nicotine account for 60% of cigarettes sold in this country.