FTC Test Cites Less Tar, Nicotine in Cigarettes

Tar and nicotine content in cigarettes fell to the lowest level since the U.S. government began reporting test results three decades ago, the Federal Trade Commission said. The agency, however, said it will consider new evidence that the testing method understates by half the amount of nicotine inhaled by some smokers. That evidence, from a new Massachusetts test, has fueled calls for tougher national testing standards. The FTC in September proposed a second test to take into account actual smoking habits, and a similar measure is part of the proposed $368.5-billion national settlement between the tobacco industry and 40 states. According to the FTC, a typical smoker inhaled 12 milligrams of tar and 0.87 milligram of nicotine per cigarette in 1995 compared with 12.1 milligrams and 0.90, respectively, in 1994. Those figures have steadily decreased since 1968, the FTC’s first year of testing. Critics say the current FTC test doesn’t account for smokers who inhale low-tar cigarettes more deeply, or who cover air holes in the filters. The FTC has set Feb. 4 as the deadline for comments on the proposal for a second test.