Cigarette Carcinogens Failure To Sustain Government Set Lowered Levels On Manufacturers, Study Show

Carcinogens are substances that are capable of causing cancer in living tissues. Cigarette demands had the government set standards to manufacturers lowering the cigarette carcinogen levels at the start of production. A study shows that at the onset of the standardized carcinogen bar imposition, levels are in adherence to the order given by health authorities; but the failure of sustaining such set level deviated from the limits.

The potent cigarette carcinogens formation during the manufacturing process called Tobacco Specific Nitrosamines (TSNA) are the parameters in focus of the study led by Christine D. Czoli, BSc and co-author David Hammond Ph.D. TSNA levels can be set by changes in the tobacco curing processes. The research examines data over the past ten years from 2005 to check the trend of TSNA level in cigarettes.

The data submitted to Health Canada using the tobacco reporting regulations examines whole tobacco compositions covering 1809 brands and smoke emissions of 191 brands manufactured by three major companies in Canada from 2005 to 2012. The one-way analysis of variances (ANOVA) and linear regression models are the tools of the study.

Data results show that levels of nitroso anatabine (NAT), 4-(methylnitrosamino-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-1, butanone decreased from 2005 to 2007 then significantly shot up from 2007 to 2012. TSNA levels displayed the same patterns of decrease and the sudden increase in the same respective years, reports Oxford Academics on Tobacco and Nicotine Research.

Medical Xpress reports that the study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research that an initial 2-year success was seen but was unsustainable and even went higher from two to 40 times higher than the 2007 values. Co-author and researcher at the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Dr. David Hammond says, that the increase in TSNA in the 90% of cigarettes sold in Canada is alarming.

Dr. Hammond adds that although the TNSA increase is not a direct health risk, cigarette manufacturers should be responsible for minimizing the exposure of customers to the harmful level of potent carcinogens in their tobacco products. The Government with all the subsidies it gave to the makers of t