‘Safe’ smoke still a risk

Press, 25 February 1977, Page 2

‘Safe’ smoke still a risk

PA Hamilton A claim that low-tar, lownicotine cigarettes were more dangerous than those with a high nicotine content should be taken “with a grain of salt,” the chairman of the medical advisory committee of the Cancer Society (Dr N. R. Freeman) said yesterday. The claim was made by Dr; Stanley Schachter, a psychologist at Columbia University, New York, who said that people ended up spending more on cigarettes, smoking more and getting far more dangerous combustion products for the equivalent amount of nicotine than was in stronger cigarettes. “Even worse,” he said, “it’s probably a good guess that low-tar brands are hooking millions of teenagers.” Dr Freeman said that from a health point of view, he had not the slightest doubt that the lower the tar content the better. But there was more than tar and nicotine that was harmful in cigarettes. “There are approximately 1000 different things in cigarettes that are harmful,” he said. “All of these would have to be taken into account.”