A nicotine delivery device without the nicotine? Tobacco industry development of low nicotine cigarettes.
BACKGROUND
Defining harm reduction and regulating potentially reduced exposure products (PREPs), including low nicotine products, are key issues in tobacco control policy. The US Congress has been considering legislation authorising the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate tobacco products.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate tobacco industry perceptions, interests, motivations, and knowledge regarding the marketability of low nicotine tobacco products.


METHODS
Qualitative analysis of internal tobacco industry documents identified in the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library between February 2002 and June 2004. Search terms included low-, no-, reduced-nicotine; denicotinization; low-, reduced- alkaloids; Next; de-nic; and key names of people, organisations, projects, and their common abbreviations and acronyms.


RESULTS
The tobacco industry has made repeated efforts to develop low nicotine cigarettes. Reasons for doing so include consumer appeal and economic importance in a highly competitive cigarette market for "healthier" products. The industry considered the development of a new "denic" market segment a critical challenge.


CONCLUSIONS
The tobacco industry exploits consumer misunderstanding of the health effects of nicotine in development and marketing efforts. The industry has risked the development of a less addictive product to expand the market reach of tobacco products based on perceived health benefits and appeal to quitters.
Dunsby
J
J
Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
Bero
L
L
D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004465:Economic Competition; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006801:Humans; D040541:Marketing; D009042:Motivation; D009538:Nicotine / Q000633:toxicity*; D012907:Smoking; D019460:Tobacco Industry / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States; D062789:Tobacco Products
D000470:Alkaloids; D009538:Nicotine