The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare levels of nicotine, carbon monoxide (CO) and tar in the two most popular domestic and three imported cigarette brands sold in Serbia.

Methods: Concentrations of nicotine, CO and tar were measured in the mainstream tobacco smoke, and determined in the reference laboratory in Canada. Cigarettes were conditioned and smoked under the specified environmental conditions. Smoking of cigarettes was carried out on either rotary or linear smoking machine. For each cigarette brand 20 samples were analyzed (Total=100).

Results: A strong statistically significant difference of mean values (mg/cigarettes) for nicotine (x=0.98±0.09 and 0.7397±0.1215), CO (x=14.00±0.67 and 10.78±1.92), and tar (14.84±1.45 and 10.97±2.88) was observed between domestic and imported cigarettes brands (p=0.000 for each substance), indicating higher concentrations in domestic cigarettes. The mean levels of CO and tar in both domestic and imported cigarettes exceeded the EU limit values (10 mg/cigarette), while mean values of nicotine were in both cases within the EU limits (1mg/cigarette). The only factories presently producing cigarettes in Serbia are Phillip Morris and BAT. So far in Serbia, according to the Law, limit values of nicotine are 1.7% for cigarettes and of tar 15 mg of dry substance. The new Law on Tobacco adopted in October 2005, proposed that the EU limit values for nicotine, CO and tar should be successively implemented by the year 2011. We emphasis the need for reference laboratory to be established the in the country for mandatory and regular measurements.