Journal of the National Cancer Institute
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · Dec 1995
Five leading U.S. commercial brands of moist snuff in 1994: assessment of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines.
Moist snuff is the only tobacco product in the United States with increasing sales (an increase of 38.4% between 1981 and 1993) and with increased consumption, primarily by male adolescents aged 12-18 years old and young adults aged 19 years old or older. It is known from previous studies that levels of nicotine and the proportion of unprotonated (free) nicotine, as well as the pH, which affects nicotine delivery, vary considerably among the leading snuff brands. Whether concentrations of major carcinogens, such as the nicotine-derived tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs), like N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), also vary among these brands has not been determined previously. ⋯ The three leading U.S. snuff brands (Copenhagen, Skoal fine cut, and Kodiak; making up 92% of the U.S. market) showed not only high levels of pH, nicotine, and unprotonated (free) nicotine, but also high concentrations of the strongly carcinogenic TSNAs in comparison with the fourth and fifth best selling moist snuff brands, Hawken and Skoal Bandits (3% of the U.S. market).