AARC Supports FTC Proposal on Tar, Nicotine Test

August 14, 2008

The AARC has just signed on to a new letter supporting a proposal at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) aimed at rescinding FTC guidance permitting tobacco companies to make factual statements about the tar and nicotine levels in cigarettes based on the Cambridge Filter Method, also known as the FTC Test Method.

The machine-based test claims to measure tar and nicotine levels, but scientific evidence suggests the test actually provides no meaningful information about how much tar and nicotine is actually received by the smoker.

“Numerous public health authorities, including the National Cancer Institute in its 2001 report, have found that cigarette manufacturers for decades have deceptively marketed ‘light’ and ‘low-tar’ cigarettes as reducing health risks despite knowing from their own research that this was not the case,” states the letter. “The manufacturers' ability to claim that nicotine and tar ratings are based on an FTC-approved testing method has been a vital part of this low-tar lie.”

The letter strongly urges the FTC to prohibit tobacco companies from using terms such as “per FTC method” or any statements implying FTC endorsement or approval of the Cambridge Filter Method or other machine-based testing methods.  “We believe that this action will help to eliminate consumers’ misperceptions about these products and will be an important step towards correcting this public health tragedy,” concludes the document.

You can read the entire letter, which was initiated by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.