1980s
145. During this period, in response to
scientific and regulatory developments, and the voluntary agreements
reached between the Government and the tobacco companies to reduce
tar yields and to work with the ISCSH (which recommend further
research into smoke chemistry and the benefits of reduced tar,
nicotine and carbon monoxide yields), Rothmans' research concentrated
on increasing the acceptability of lower yielding products. This
work included:
— monitoring lung function and smoking
behaviour in consumers. In the early 1970's as part of the programme
to develop tobacco substitutes, the ISCSH required companies marketing
products containing these materials to monitor lung function and
smoking behaviour in consumers of these brands. Although the demise
of tobacco substitutes rendered this commitment irrelevant, Rothmans'
continued its work in this area and also supported external research
into smokers of lower yielding cigarettes. This work led to studies
which were designed to demonstrate the inter-relationships between
changing cigarette characteristics, smoking behaviour (ie how
people smoke cigarettes), biological effects (such as lung function
and the uptake of smoke components) and ultimate consumer acceptability;
— exploring the relative acceptability
of different techniques for reducing cigarette yields. This involved
establishing methods for comparing the acceptability of different
product modifications and setting up a series of consumer panels
to provide guidance on the sensory properties of developmental
cigarettes;
— (following a recommendation by the
ISCSH) developing a cigarette in which nicotine was reduced to
a lesser extent than the reduction in level of tar (ie a low tar
to nicotine ratio cigarette). These cigarettes were marketed under
the brand of Rothmans Special in the early to mid 1980s;
— developing new methods of cigarette
construction to maximise the flavour of low yielding products
and also developing flavours (containing minute quantities of
approved additives);
— carrying out fundamental studies
into how the flavour characteristics of cigarettes are perceived
by smokers (in order to provide models for the design of new,
lower yielding cigarettes); and
— assessing new bioassay tests developed
by the scientific community and using these and other established
tests to monitor the biological activity of experimental and commercial
cigarettes.
146. During this period, Rothmans retained
and expanded the panel of expert scientists, initially recruited
to advise on testing Cytrel, to provide guidance on the content
and execution of its continuing research programme. Rothmans'
also provided support to a number of independent institutions
to provide information directly relevant to its research programme
and to allow these institutions to further their own programmes.
The scientists involved were encouraged to publish their results
in the scientific literature.
1990s
147. As the progression to lower tar yields
continued, Rothmans maintained its efforts to improve the acceptability
of products with lower tar yields. Examples of relevant research
include:
— continuing the examination of the
human smoking process, in particular, smoke generation, inhalation
and response. Research was carried out to increase the understanding
of human smoking with reference to the effects of smoking patterns
on different product designs as well as into the readiness of
the smoker to accept and adapt to unfamiliar products;
— exploring the relative acceptability
of different techniques for reducing cigarette yields. This involved
establishing methods for comparing the acceptability of different
product modifications and setting up a series of consumer panels
to provide guidance on the sensory properties of developmental
cigarettes;
— continuing research into acceptable
low tar and ultra-low tar cigarettes including investigating concepts
such as tobacco rods where the blend is varied in composition
along the length so that there are high flavour and high nicotine
tobaccos in the portion smoked first and lower yielding tobaccos
in the later portion;
— conducting research into filters,
including examining the possibilities of increasing filter efficiency
by making use of the change in retention efficiency brought about
by the deposition of tar onto the filter fibres for different
designs. In addition, filter development work was undertaken with
the aim of increasing retention efficiency puff by puff in order
to permit the optimisation of tar yield profiles for cigarettes;
and
— conducting further studies into how
the flavour characteristics of cigarettes are perceived by smokers
(in order to provide models for the design of new, lower yielding
cigarettes).
