Applications of some physical indicators of cigarette smoking

Since abstinence may be an unrealistic goal for some smokers, the use of presumably less-hazardous, low-yield cigarettes has been recommended. A cigarette is called low-yield if it delivers small amounts of tar and nicotine in a standard smoking-machine assay. Unfortunately, machine-smoked yields are poor predictors of a smoker's exposure to the toxic ingredients in tobacco. Many smokers who smoke low-yield cigarettes are not actually low-yield smokers, in that they use any of a number of compensatory smoking techniques to increase the yields of their cigarettes. Compensatory smoking often takes place without the awareness of the smoker and can be very difficult for the smoker to monitor, even if trying to do so. Physical indicators of tobacco use should be applied by smokers who are trying to reduce their exposure to tobacco. In particular, the application of information to be found in heart-rate changes and in changes in the appearance of spent filters is discussed. The smoking of low-yield cigarettes should be recommended only when low-yield smoking has been confirmed in the individual smoker.