Health briefs: Cigarettes are packing a bigger punch
Smokers today inhale more nicotine per cigarette than they did six years ago. That's the finding issued this week by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which requires manufacturers selling cigarettes in the state to report on nicotine content annually. (Utah and Texas are the only other states to collect such data each year.)
Of 116 brands analyzed, 92 delivered more of the addictive substance in 2004 than in 1998. On average, 10 percent more nicotine is getting to smokers' lungs; three Doral 85 brands passed the 30 percent mark. Cigarettes with the lowest levels: Doral Ultra-Light Kings and Winston Ultra-Light Kings.
Though the tar content is largely responsible for bringing on lung cancer and emphysema, nicotine raises your heart rate and blood pressure, and makes it tough to quit. Indeed, people using nicotine patches or gum may need to start with a larger dose. "Health providers need to take this into account when prescribing nicotine aids," says Donna Rheaume, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Health.