A Safer Cigarette? A Comparative Study. A Consensus Report

This special issue describes the scientific progress and scientific review process to develop a safer cigarette. A peer-review panel, the ECLIPSE Expert Panel, was convened to critically review the potential health hazards of this new cigarette to a reference, conventional cigarette that bums tobacco. This new cigarette is lit and smoked much like other cigarettes, but it burns very little tobacco and paper. Also, unlike other cigarettes, it does not burn down to a butt, nor does it produce loose ash. Such a product would be expected to have less "tar" and other combustion products than cigarettes that burn tobacco and should greatly reduce any sidestream smoke. This panel assessed the chemistry and physical characteristics, as well as the biological activity, of this new cigarette.