Ultralow-yield cigarettes and type of ventilation: the role of ventilation blocking

Habitual smokers of perforation-ventilated cigarettes and of channel-ventilated cigarettes (18 male and 18 female subjects each; nicotine yield 0.1-0.3 mg, 0.2 mg, respectively) were compared with respect to different smoke exposure indicators and puffing behavior. The role of ventilation blocking was assessed by comparing normal lip contact with smoking through a cigarette holder. The presmoking concentrations (plasma nicotine, cotinine, respiratory CO) were higher for channel-filter than for perforation-ventilated cigarettes, as were the pre- to postsmoking boosts (nicotine, CO) with normal lip smoking. Holder smoking resulted in lower boosts than lip smoking for the channel filter cigarettes, although the puffing behavior was considerably intensified. The boosts for perforation-ventilated cigarettes remained unchanged and were reached with only moderately intensified puffing behavior. The results indicate the importance of ventilation blocking in everyday lip smoking for channel-filter cigarettes, but not for conventional, perforated cigarettes.