Smokers are okay with lower nicotine in cigarettes, suggests University of Waterloo report

Most smokers support the idea of cigarettes having lower nicotine content, according to a new University of Waterloo report on tobacco.

Over 3,500 people were polled by the International Tobacco Control Project at the University of Waterloo. Of them, 64 per cent of smokers said they supported reducing nicotine content with the goal of making cigarettes less addictive.

Geoffrey Fong, who is principle investigator for the project headquartered out of the Ontario university, says no country has ever implemented that policy to lower nicotine in cigarettes.

But he says several clinical trials on the impact of low-nicotine cigarettes found it does lead to significant reduction in smoking over time.

Survey respondents call for ban on smoking

CBC caught long-time smoker Rob, from Bloomingdale, Ont., on a smoke break. He said he's all for lowering the amount of nicotine in cigarettes but he would like to see cigarette packs include a full list all of the contents a person is smoking.

"I actually miss having the cigarette packs telling you exactly how much nicotine is in the cigarettes. So that I can have a choice to go to a lighter brand or something that, is not quite as addictive," he said. 

Tim Rae, from Cambridge, says lowering nicotine rates in cigarettes would make them less addictive — but he doesn't think it would affect his habit.

"I smoke about 25, smokes a day. A full pack," said Rae. He said, to date, cessation strategies like graphic packaging haven't done much to get him to quit.  

The International Tobacco Control Project surveyed smokers, non-smokers and people who recently quit. It found: 

• 64 per cent of smokers supported reduce nicotine in cigarettes/tobacco to make them less addictive
• 56 per cent of smokers supported requiring tobacco retailers to sell alternative nicotine products.
• 53 per cent of smokers supported banning promotional discounting of cigarettes/tobacco.
• 33 per cent supported requiring health warning on cigarette sticks
• 30 per cent of smokers supported a total ban on cigarettes/tobacco in 10 years if government encourages use of alternative nicotine products.
• 25 per cent of smokers supported banning cigarette/tobacco sales in convenience stores and gas stations.

Fong said he was surprised at the number of smokers who supported a total ban on cigarettes.

"About 30 percent of smokers actually said that they would support banning what they use as cigarettes. If there were alternative products available," said Fong. 

Canada's Tobacco Strategy, administered by the federal government, has a goal of getting tobacco use down to five per cent of the population by 2035.

New Zealand, has a similar goal, but with a deadline of 2025. That country will both reduce the places where tobacco can be purchased and reduce the nicotine content in cigarettes as part of getting to that ambitious goal.