England Wants Tobacco Firms To Remove Dangerous Additives

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LONDON (Reuters Health) - The UK Department of Health confirmed on Monday it is urging tobacco firms to reduce levels of carcinogens and other dangerous chemicals from cigarettes. A spokesman told Reuters Health that government officials had sought advice from experts on the Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health on which of the hundreds of chemicals in tobacco should be removed from cigarettes.

``Ministers want firm new action on tobacco additives and carcinogens in tobacco smoke. If the industry does not take action,
we will be looking to powers under the Consumer Protection Act that would allow us to ban tobacco additives if proven
unsafe,'' he added.

While no deadline had been set, he said ministers clearly want early action.

Public health minister Yvette Cooper was reported on Sunday to have drawn up a list of additives she wants to see banned
within 6 months. Some chemicals are believed to put smokers at a greater risk of cancer while others are designed to improve
flavour and increase the rush of nicotine.

In a statement to Sunday newspapers, she said, ``The government is already providing support for smokers who want to give
up but we also want to see the industry do more to cut potentially harmful additives and carcinogens from cigarettes, too.

``People have the right to smoke but most people are unaware of the huge number of additives and carcinogens in cigarettes as
well as nicotine. People are entitled to that information and to know that action is being taken to reduce the most dangerous
constituents of cigarettes.''

Welcoming the initiative, Sir Paul Nurse, director general of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, said, ``The cigarette is like a
dirty syringe for taking the drug nicotine, with over 600 additives permitted. The tobacco companies have known how to make
smoking safer for at least 25 years, but have consistently failed to do so. The current products cause premature death for half of
all long-term smokers, so even a small improvement could save thousands of lives.''

Sir Paul urged the government to follow through with its plans to enforce safety measures legally. ``The current system to
regulate additives under voluntary agreements has been in force since 1997, but it clearly doesn't work. It's vital that the
government forces tobacco companies by law to reduce the known toxins in cigarettes and to develop less hazardous products.
Given that cigarettes kill half of all regular users, it is amazing that so little regulation governs what goes into them.''