Scientists Say Less Harmful Cigarettes Are a Possibility

A panel of scientists reported Thursday that it may be feasible for tobacco companies to produce less harmful cigarettes but said there is no evidence that products already on the market or under development will reduce smoking-related diseases.

The research panel, convened by the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, said new regulations are needed to assess the benefits and risks of modified tobacco products and smoking substitutes.

The group’s comprehensive report comes as several leading cigarette manufacturers are starting to make major investments in programs to develop and market such products.

“We believe that it may be possible to reduce harm from tobacco use,” said Stuart Bondurant, professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and chairman of the research panel. “But we frankly do not know the health effects of the various products on the market today.”

The committee studied three categories of products. The first consists of cigarettes that heat but do not burn tobacco, generating less smoke and potentially fewer toxins. It includes products such as RJR Reynolds’ Eclipse and Philip Morris’ Accord cigarettes.

A second category consists of products containing modified tobacco that has been grown or treated to contain fewer dangerous chemicals. It includes Advance cigarettes, manufactured by Star Scientific.

The third category consists of smoking-cessation products such as nicotine gum and patches. Although intended for short-term use, they have the potential to be used indefinitely as a tobacco substitute.

About 47 million Americans--roughly one in four adults--are smokers. Most say that they would like to quit but only 3% do so in any given year. Smoking-related disease remains a leading killer, putting smokers at higher risk for many cancers as well as heart disease.

The research committee said that a new regulatory system is urgently needed to help consumers evaluate manufacturers’ claims about the new products. Without it, the panel said, there will be little incentive for companies to continue to develop and market potentially beneficial products.

The panel noted that the tobacco industry has been producing purportedly less harmful products for years, including filtered and low-tar cigarettes. But studies have shown that many smokers compensate for reduced nicotine levels by inhaling more deeply and smoking more cigarettes, making them just as harmful as regular cigarettes.

Any regulatory system should encompass not only the content of the products, but also their labeling and marketing claims, the panel said. Health risks should be measured using human subjects and products should be analyzed to determine the amount of nicotine and other substances they contain--there are about 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke.

Public health groups said the report confirms what they have long contended: The Food and Drug Administration should regulate tobacco products and there is no scientific evidence to date that suggests it is possible to smoke safely.

“The most important finding is that after an exhaustive study of all the science, this panel of experts found that there was no evidence that any of the so-called reduced-risk products actually reduce the risk of disease to consumers,” said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

Several members of Congress are expected to introduce legislation in coming weeks to allow the FDA to regulate tobacco.

Cigarette manufacturers said that they welcome the report and support its conclusion that cigarettes should be regulated. After fighting regulatory proposals for years, industry officials say they now believe that the only way they will be able to market less harmful tobacco products is with some form of federal oversight.

“Philip Morris supports Congress giving FDA authority to regulate cigarettes,” said Mary Carnovale, a spokeswoman for the company. “We believe there should be FDA regulation, including regulation of the type and manner of communication to consumers.”

The most enthusiastic advocate appears to be Vector Group. Its Liggett subsidiary was the first tobacco company to acknowledge the addictive nature of cigarettes. With less than 2% of the market, Vector is betting much of its future on its ability to gain market share with cigarettes made either with genetically altered tobacco or with tobacco treated to remove some of its toxins. Both products, the company claims, put smokers at less risk.

“We think our products are dramatically different and we’re glad to work with any regulatory agency,” said Brandy Bergman, a spokeswoman for Vector.