The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Cigarettes remain the most harmful and the most popular tobacco products in the world. There are significant variations in the toxic emissions of different cigarette products. As a consequence of Article 9 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), new testing standards for cigarette emissions are imminent, with the potential for regulatory limits to follow. Previous efforts to reduce the toxicity of cigarette smoke through emission reductions, including the current EU limits on tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide, have failed to reduce the harmfulness of cigarettes. New proposals for measuring and reducing toxic emissions address several of the key limitations of previous efforts; nevertheless, there is a need to consider the extent to which future emission limits have the potential to reduce the harmfulness of cigarettes. Although product toxicity is a critical component of harm, it is by no means the only component. What, if any, other measures are required to ensure meaningful reductions in the harmfulness of conventional cigarettes? This presentation will evaluate the promise of emission reductions, as well as alternative approaches to product regulation. The primary objective is to stimulate discussion of these critical issues prior to the implementation of the FCTC.