November 1, 2017

 

Continuing on how harmful tobacco is.

 

9. Additives (Continued)

① Ammonia

When the pH of nicotine rises, it becomes "free-base nicotine," which can easily pass through biological membranes and be absorbed into the body.

When nicotine levels in the blood rise rapidly, the brain's reward system is easily activated.

JT (Japan Tobacco) adds ammonia to tobacco smoke to increase its pH.

By making nicotine more absorbable with ammonia, they efficiently increase the number of nicotine addicts and make people buy more and more cigarettes.

JT proudly calls this nicotine absorption enhancement technology "Ammonia Technology."

Cigarette smoke consists of a particulate phase and a gas phase.

Various particles contained in the particulate phase solidify inside the lungs, forming a sticky tar-like mass, so the entire particulate phase is called tar.

Regular nicotine is found in the particulate phase of smoke, while free-base nicotine is found in the gas phase.

The nicotine content displayed on cigarette packaging only includes the nicotine collected and measured from the particulate phase.

Even if ammonia increases the generation of free-base nicotine, there is no obligation to list it on the package.

It's a clever trick!

Rather than getting angry, I almost have to admire their ingenuity.

I hate to admit it, but bravo to the enemy.

 

② Acetaldehyde

Acetaldehyde, which is produced by the combustion of sugar, alleviates the acute toxic symptoms of nicotine.

Because of this, smokers can keep inhaling smoke without feeling sick, and their blood nicotine levels rise rapidly.

As a result, nicotine dependence becomes even stronger.

JT shamelessly praises this mechanism, calling acetaldehyde an "Impact Booster."
It's absolutely infuriating.

 

③ "Project Stealth"

Society is becoming increasingly strict about secondhand smoke.

In response, JT has developed additives that make sidestream smoke less visible and mask its odor.

This technology has been likened to stealth fighter jets and is called "Project Stealth."

Magnesium carbonate, for example, reduces the visibility of sidestream smoke, while benzaldehyde masks it less smelly.

Tobacco products made using such deceptive technologies are further worsening the damage caused by secondhand smoke.

 

To be continued