Nitrosamine Levels in Various Nicotine Products
Posted on February 17th, 2011 by Jack StoneOne of the complaints we see from people against electronic cigarettes are Tobacco-specific Nitrosamines, which are cancer-causing agents found in tobacco and tobacco derived products.
However, Nitrosamines are a non-issue with electronic cigarettes…here’s a comparison chart from a recent Boston University study comparing Nitrosamine levels in various nicotine products, including electronic cigarettes.
The interesting thing here is that while they have just slightly higher Nitrosamine levels than FDA-approved stop smoking aids, electronic cigarettes contain less than 00.18% of the total Nitrosamines found in Marlboro Ultra Lights.
This means you’d have to smoke more than 587 electronic cigarettes to get the same amount of Nitrosamines in a single Marlboro Ultra Light.
| Product | NNN | NNK | NAT | NAB | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicorette gum (4mg) | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 |
| NicoDerm CQ Patch (4mg) | 0.00 | 8.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 |
| Electronic Cigarettes | 3.87 | 1.46 | 2.16 | 0.69 | 8.18 |
| Swedish Snus | 980.00 | 180.00 | 790.00 | 60.00 | 2,010.00 |
| Winston (full) | 2,200.00 | 580.00 | 560.00 | 25.00 | 3,365.00 |
| Newport (full) | 1,100.00 | 830.00 | 1,900.00 | 55.00 | 3,885.00 |
| Marlboro (ultra-light) | 2,900.00 | 750.00 | 1,100.00 | 58.00 | 4,808.00 |
| Camel (full) | 2,500.00 | 900.00 | 1,700.00 | 91.00 | 5,191.00 |
| Marlboro (full) | 2,900.00 | 960.00 | 2,300.00 | 100.00 | 6,260.00 |
| Skoal (long cut straight) | 4,500.00 | 470.00 | 4,100.00 | 220.00 | 9,290.00 |
Abbreviations: NNN = 4-(methylnitrosamino)-I-(3-pyridyl)-I-butanone; NNK = N’-nitrosonornicotine; NAT = N’-nitrosoanatabine; NAB = N’-nitrosoanabasine; 0.00 means “Not detected”
Link to the original study: Electronic cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy for tobacco control: A step forward or a repeat of past mistakes?
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