Nicotine Augmentation Project

This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation.

Nicotine Augmentation Project
This Lorillard Tobacco Company memo, Nicotine Augmentation Project (NAP), reveals Lorillard's goal to increase the amount of nicotine delivery from their cigarette products, and discusses the various ways the company could achieve this goal.

Quotes:

One of the most obvious ways to deliver additional nicotine in a low tar cigarette is to add nicotine from an outside source to that naturally present in cigarette tobaccos... The problem is one of finding a source of the additional nicotine, and determining how to apply it... Nicotine Sources: 1. Commercial Sources: Only two sources of nicotine have been found thus far...Shipping and handling problems must be resolved due to the intensely poisonous properties of the compound, and storage facilities must be found ... The exhaust gases of the Greensboro and Louisville burley driers and the drier exhausts of the Danville plant constitute another source of nicotine...Extensive engineering and construction would be required to scrub the nicotine from these sources... If the company is successful in obtaining a supply or source of nicotine, the next immediate problem is to determine how and where to apply it to our product. It is very clear that nicotine can not be used in its pure form ... the whole operation will be relatively isolated and remote from the cigarette manufacturing facilities, permitting better control of the operation using the intensely poisonous nicotine. 2. Chemical Treatment An alternate approach is to treat the tobacco...with a stronger base than nicotine, such as ammonia. Ammonia would then displace nicotine from its salts giving...free nicotine. Free nicotine in smoke would have a much greater physiological effect than nicotine salts .... The concept may well evolve or merge with the approach presented later, which considers increasing the pH of smoke to increase the physiological effect of nicotine. 3. Air Dilution It has been reported in the literature, and verified by experiments here that air dilution of cigarette smoke results in up to 40% higher nicotine delivery than might be expected by conventional construction. The reason for the effect is not understood. This could well be a very rewarding and inexpensive partial solution to the whole problem. Surely, new concepts of filter construction involving air dilution should be vigorously pursued to heighten and maximize the effect.

Title : Nicotine Augmentation Project
Org. Author: Lorillard
Per. Author: HJ Minnemeyer
Date: 19760504 (May 4, 1976)
Type: Memorandum, scientific report
Bates No. 81130764/0770 Collection: Lorillard
Pages: 7
URL: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/vhr91e00

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