Urinary nicotine and cotinine concentrations in hand-rolled cigarette smokers, filter cigarette smokers, and passive smokers exposed to ETS

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is a serious health risk for both active and passive smokers. Due to the prices have gradually increased, some smokers have switched from filter-tax included cigarettes to the cheaper hand-rolled cigarettes. Regardless of their prices, some smokers believe that hand-rolled cigarettes are less harmful to their health than are the filter cigarettes. In this presentation, urine nicotine and cotinine concentrations were used as indicators of health risk associated with smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Statistical analysis indicates non-significant differences in urine nicotine and cotinine levels in hand-rolled cigarette smokers’ samples compared with filter cigarettes smokers’ samples. There are, however, highly significant differences in urine cotinine concentrations in both filter and hand-rolled cigarette smokers’ samples compared with passive smokers exposed to ETS at home. But only the hand-rolled cigarette smokers’ samples show statistically significant difference in urinary nicotine levels compared with the samples of passive smokers living with them. Urine samples of passive smokers exposed to ETS at home show non-statistically significant differences in both urine nicotine and cotinine levels compared with samples of non-smokers unexposed to ETS at home. Thus, hand-rolled cigarette smoking is at least as harmful as filter cigarette smoking. Exposure to ETS in public places is possibly more common than exposure to ETS at home. Passive exposure to ETS in public places is difficult to avoid, thus, legislation banning smoking in public places should be strictly implemented for public health safety.