PORTLAND, Ore. -- When it comes to nicotine content, all cigarettes are not created equal, according to a new study by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University.
A study finds some brands of cigarettes deliver a much more powerful nicotine "kick" than others. In fact, some commercial cigarette brands contain 10 to 20 times higher percentages of nicotine in the so-called "free-base" form -- the form thought to be most addictive -- than believed up to now, according to the study, published in the online version of the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.
That finding adds to suspicions that manufacturers deliberately blend tobacco to boost the addictive effect. Researchers measured the first three puffs smoke from 11 brands of cigarettes for "free base" form of nicotine, which passes quickly into the bloodstream when it is inhaled. Some varieties of tobacco have a lot more of the free-base form than others. American Spirit topped the list for free base, followed by the French brand Gauloises Brunes. Chemist James Pankow said their free-nicotine levels are 25 to 35 times higher than those of the lowest-level brands.
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