Study says tobacco companies changed product but said nothing

A new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers shows that tobacco manufacturers have continually changed the ingredients and the design of their cigarettes over time.

The changes were made even if they exceeded acceptable product variance guidelines. The result is that consumers who buy the same brand of product are not made aware of how that product has been altered and what effect those alterations might have on their levels of addiction or harm. "I hope the FDA requires disclosure of any changes made to tobacco products and that the changes are disallowed if shown to increase appeal, addiction and harm," said Greg Connolly, director of the Tobacco Control Research Program at HSPH. The study, "Regulatory Assessment of Brand Changes in the Commercial Tobacco Product Market," , appears in the "Online First" section of the Journal of Tobacco Control and will appear in an upcoming print issue of the journal.

Lead author Geoffrey Ferris Wayne, an HSPH researcher, worked with Connolly and the pair studied internal tobacco company documents released following the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. They found through this study significant changes were made to commercial products over time, including blend, processing, casing, flavoring and physical design features. For example, new methods were developed to process tobacco, altering the smoke chemistry and the form of nicotine delivery, and the levels of processed tobaccos were regularly adjusted within brands. The changes, which in many cases have exceeded the levels of acceptable variance established within the tobacco industry, for the most part, were not disclosed to consumers. "Even incremental changes that occur over a period of years can result in significant design differences. The resulting product may have altered chemistry or delivery, yet the smoker is largely unaware of these changes. This underscores the need for industry transparency and accountability," said Ferris Wayne. Previous studies have examined how products are designed to enhance appeal and addiction. At Senate hearings on the FDA bill last year, Connolly discussed that research, including how tobacco companies have increased nicotine content over time, manipulated menthol and added candy-like flavors to enhance appeal to children. The study was supported by the National Cancer Institute. The study's abstract is available here.