RYOs cheap and nasty – research

RYOs cheap and nasty – research

The real risks of roll-your-own cigarettes have been revealed, with new evidence suggesting they could be even more dangerous than factory-made cigarettes.

A Christchurch-based study by public health specialist Dr Murray Laugesen and his co-researchers found that smokers tend to suck ‘rollies’ more intensively, more often and more efficiently, making them at least as deadly as factory-made cigarettes.

"Roll-your-own smokers inhale more to get the most value from their cigarettes and don't let so much be wasted, while smokers of factory-made cigarettes let a lot of their smoke drift into the air,” Dr Laugesen says.

The study is the first of its kind to use people rather than smoking machines to compare the two types of cigarettes. It found that study participants inhaled 28 percent more smoke per roll-your-own, even though they contained less tobacco than factory-made cigarettes.

Dr Laugesen says the study shows rollies are at least as harmful as factory-made smokes, even when you use a filter.

“Roll-your-own cigarettes currently account for nearly a third of tobacco used in New Zealand.

“Smokers know smoking kills, and roll-your-own smokers tend to think they are safer because they use less tobacco, or that it has less additives, or because they use a filter. Our research shows these factors do not protect roll-your-own smokers.

“Instead, we find that using less tobacco actually means more smoke inhaled. Roll-your-owns contain more additives than factory-made cigarettes, not less, and using less tobacco in the roll-your-own cigarette means more smoke is inhaled not less.”

Dr Laugesen believes New Zealand’s tobacco excise tax approach, which is levied by tobacco content rather than per cigarette, has encouraged smokers to hand-roll thin cigarettes and pay less tax.
“The tax rate per smoke should be equalised. Equal harm deserves equal tax.

“Perversely, people are turning to rollies for a cheaper smoke, rather than quitting.”

The study was carried out using cigarette holders containing flow meters. Twenty-six men who usually smoke rollies, were compared with 22 who usually smoke factory-made cigarettes.

It found that participants smoking rollies took 25 percent more puffs per cigarette and generally puffed for six seconds longer per cigarette. Both types of cigarette boosted the level of carbon monoxide, measured in exhaled breath, by the same amount.

ENDS