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Objectives: In this study, we characterized the sweet flavor ingredients in 2 internationally popular waterpipe tobaccos, flavored and unflavored. Methods: Tobacco extracts were quantified for humectants, sugars, menthol, nicotine, and sugar alcohols. Qualitative screening of flavor volatiles was performed, and 12 flavor volatiles were quantified. Results: Humectant content was 20 times greater in the flavored brand versus the unflavored, largely due to greater concentration of the glycerol. Sugar content was approximately 1.7 times higher in the flavored tobacco. Vanillin levels were > 200 times greater in the flavored brand. Nicotine content of the unflavored tobacco was 1.5 times greater on a mg/g tobacco basis, which can be explained by the much larger humectant mass content of the flavored tobacco. Conclusions: Flavored waterpipe tobacco may contain significantly greater amounts of humectants and flavor components (the compounds that make up the overall flavor), which may be harmful to users, compared to unflavored. Limiting flavors in waterpipe tobacco could aid in maximizing public health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their potential importance with regard to infectious and chronic diseases among tobacco users, microbial constituents of tobacco products lack characterization. Specifically, to our knowledge, there are no data describing the bacterial diversity of little cigars or cigarillos. To address this knowledge gap, we tested four brands of little cigars and cigarillos. Tobacco and wrapper subsamples (n = 132) were separately subjected to DNA extraction, followed by PCR amplification of the V3V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene, and sequencing using Illumina HiSeq. Sequences were analyzed using QIIME and Phyloseq implemented in R. We identified 2,681 operational taxonomic units across all products. Significant differences in alpha and beta diversity were observed between Swisher Sweets and Cheyenne products. Alpha and beta diversity was also significantly different between tobacco and wrapper subsamples within the same product. Beta diversity analyses of only tobacco samples identified no significant differences in the bacterial microbiota of different lots of the same products; however, the microbiota in the wrapper differed significantly across lots for all brands. Overall, Firmicutes were found to dominate in the wrapper, whereas Proteobacteria were most abundant in the tobacco. At the genus level, Bacillus and Lactobacillus dominated in the wrappers, and Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas dominated in the tobacco. Our findings suggest that the bacterial microbiota of little cigars and cigarillos is diverse and differs significantly between the tobacco and the wrapper, and across brands. Future work is necessary to evaluate the potential public health implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco products, specifically cigarettes, are home to microbial ecosystems that may play an important role in the generation of carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), as well as the onset of multiple adverse human health effects associated with the use of these products. Therefore, we conducted time-series experiments with five commercially available brands of cigarettes that were either commercially mentholated, custom-mentholated, user-mentholated, or non-mentholated. To mimic user storage conditions, the cigarettes were incubated for 14 days under three different temperatures and relative humidities (i.e., pocket, refrigerator, and room). Overall, 360 samples were collected over the course of 2 weeks and total DNA was extracted, PCR amplified for the V3V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq. A subset of samples (n = 32) was also analyzed via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for two TSNAs: N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Comparative analyses of the five tobacco brands revealed bacterial communities dominated by Pseudomonas, Pantoea, and Bacillus, with Pseudomonas relatively stable in abundance regardless of storage condition. In addition, core bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified in all samples and included Bacillus pumilus, Rhizobium sp., Sphingomonas sp., unknown Enterobacteriaceae, Pantoea sp., Pseudomonas sp., Pseudomonas oryzihabitans, and P. putida. Additional OTUs were identified that significantly changed in relative abundance between day 0 and day 14, influenced by brand and storage condition. In addition, small but statistically significant increases in NNN levels were observed in user- and commercially mentholated brands between day 0 and day at 14 pocket conditions. These data suggest that manufacturing and user manipulations, such as mentholation and storage conditions, may directly impact the microbiome of cigarette tobacco as well as the levels of carcinogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We examined intra-individual variability in puff topography and CO measures collected during laboratory waterpipe (WP) tobacco smoking using a research-grade waterpipe (RWP). Methods: WP smoking topography and exhaled CO measures were obtained from 10 established WP smokers in a single-blind, crossover design. Using a previously validated RWP, each participant smoked "Two Apples" WP tobacco ad libitum with a single quick-light charcoal to satiation in 3 laboratory sessions spaced at least one week apart. To examine the intra-individual variability, the intraclass correlation coefficient (p) for topography and CO measures were estimated. Results: The majority of the topography and CO measures were stable. Most stable were puff frequency (p = 0.88), number of puffs (p = 0.86), and puff duration (p = 0.80). Less stable were peak flow (p = 0.57) and total puff volume (p = 0.52). Conclusions: The results provide the first set of empirical evidence that most topography and CO measurements collected using the RWP from a single laboratory smoking session are stable such that they can be representative of a smoker's puffing behaviors and reproducible among 3 sessions spread equally across 3 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study objective: To examine whether young, especially low socioeconomic status (SES), females are influenced by tobacco control policies in terms of smoking initiation and transition to more adverse stages of smoking behaviour from adolescence to young adulthood. Design and setting: Data from 2697 young female respondents to the national longitudinal study of adolescent health wave 1(1994-1995) and wave 3(2001-2002). Measurements: The following factors were used to predict the likelihood of smoking initiation and transition to heavier tobacco use between adolescence and young adulthood among females of low, middle, and high SES groups: state level tobacco control policy scores, developed by the US National Cancer Institute, state cigarette excise tax, smoking rate at school, cigarette availability at home, and number of best friends smoking. Main results: Stronger state level tobacco policies were associated with lower likelihood of smoking initiation and adverse transition among low SES women, although the effect sizes were small. Adolescents who attended schools with higher student smoking rates; adolescents who had easier access to cigarettes at home; and adolescents who had more friends smoking were all more likely to be adverse transitioners by young adulthood. Conclusions: State level tobacco control policies and individual level factors during adolescence are independently associated with smoking initiation and adverse transition by the onset of young adulthood, especially for low SES females. While states may have very little direct influence on individual level behaviours, through their policies they do have the potential to exert considerable influence on smoking behaviour that persists through adolescence into young adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of tobacco products purported to reduce toxin exposure or potentially reduce health risks necessitates the development of methods and identification of biomarkers that can be used to assess these products. These assessments occur on multiple levels and stages, from identifying constituents in the tobacco products and smoke, to human exposure and health effects trials, to postmarketing surveillance. A conference of multidisciplinary experts was convened to present and discuss methods and biomarkers to assess these products and to consider the infrastructure necessary to facilitate the evaluation process. Although no currently available set of measures was thought to be sufficient for determining the relative health risk of potential reduced exposure products, this paper provides a blueprint for future research toward this end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the state of science concerning the potential increased harm caused by adding menthol to cigarettes. Emergence of menthol cigarettes; Use of menthol cigarettes by some segments of the smoking population; Potential of menthol cigarettes to increase exposure to harmful smoke constituents.

The increased consumption of tobacco products in recent years has been linked, among other factors, to the presence of added flavors. Although flavors are important in explaining consumption, their effects in the brain have until now been unexplored. In the present study, we investigated how electrophysiology can serve to dissociate the effects of nicotine and flavor. Participants attended 4 sessions (2-by-2 factorial design, with flavor and nicotine as within-subject factors), in each session an oddball task was performed before and after smokeless tobacco consumption. We explored the dissociation of neural responses to flavor and nicotine. While event-related potentials did not show modulation due to flavors, time-frequency showed a flavor-nicotine dissociation. Low-frequency activity (delta, theta and alpha) showed only effects of nicotine, and high-frequency activity (beta1, beta2 and gamma) showed effects only susceptible to flavor. Flavors in smokeless tobacco not only made the product more desirable but also triggered the allocation of cognitive resources. This long-lasting effect of flavor may enhance the addictive potential of the tobacco product. Further research is being developed to determine the precise role of flavors in contributing to addiction. This is the first study investigating the neural effects of flavor (specifically wintergreen) in smokeless tobacco products. By understanding the effects of flavors in the brain we can explain the precipitants of tobacco consumption behaviors, and the addictive potential of flavors. Regulators will be able to determine if and in which amount flavors should be allowed in tobacco products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]