All varieties of NAS cigarettes, including the non-filtered NAS Brown were 84-mm long. Table 1 summarizes general characteristics of the tested cigarettes. These results, together with some physical characteristics of cigarettes, are compared to a limited set of other commercial cigarette brands. 19, 20 To address this important gap, we analyzed a range of tobacco-derived constituents, such as nicotine, other tobacco alkaloids, beta-carbolines, and TSNA, as well as a panel of combustion-derived constituents in smoke, and some of the same and other important constituents in tobacco filler of 13 NAS cigarette varieties. 16– 18 Other publications included a range of NAS varieties, but the analyses were focused on a limited set of constituents, such as particulate matter, nicotine, or ammonia. Although there are at least 13 varieties of NAS cigarettes, most publications that report on the chemical constituents in specific brands and sub-brands of cigarettes in the United States (US) include one, sometimes unidentified NAS variety. However, data on the levels of many important toxicants and carcinogens in various NAS cigarettes is critically lacking. 8, 15 Therefore, it is plausible to expect that, even if made with organically-grown tobacco and without additives, NAS cigarettes have similar toxicity and carcinogenic potency as the majority of other commercial cigarette brands.Ĭomprehensive characterization of key harmful chemical constituents in tobacco and smoke of NAS cigarettes, and their comparison with other brands, is essential for developing accurate and effective communication of health risks associated with NAS use, for interpreting biomarker data, and for supporting regulatory measures. 13, 14 Lastly, a wide range of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), carbonyls, and other volatile toxicants are formed upon the combustion of any organic matter. 10– 12 Carcinogenic metals are being absorbed from soil into the tobacco plant, and their levels will depend on the soil rather than tobacco cultivation practices. 7– 9 A substantial amount of research provides clear evidence that levels of these constituents in smoke depend on factors other than tobacco being “organic,” “natural,” or “additive-free.” For instance, levels of the addictive tobacco alkaloid nicotine and the carcinogenic tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNA) N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in cigarette smoke depend on the type of tobacco plant and on how it has been cured. 6ĭetrimental health outcomes associated with smoking, such as 19 types of cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, are caused by the numerous harmful constituents that are either derived from tobacco itself or are formed during the process of combustion.

3– 5 Whereas some of the misleading descriptors are no longer allowed in the NAS advertisements, words such as “natural,” “organic,” and “tobacco and water” are still used in the brand’s name, packaging, or advertising, contributing to sustained misperceptions of relative safety of NAS cigarettes. 1, 2 Indeed, studies show that NAS cigarettes are perceived by smokers as posing lower health risks than other brands and those smokers who use NAS, being more concerned about health than other smokers, are more likely to have these beliefs and choose NAS because of them.

Natural American Spirit (NAS) cigarettes have been marketed as made from “natural” or “organic” tobacco and “100% additive-free,” implying reduced risk of toxic exposures.

American spirits organic