Most smokers are not aware of the added sugar in cigarettes and the consequences of this, write in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research American researchers from the University of North Carolina at chapel hill (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
Natural (contained in tobacco leaf) and added sugar serve to reduce the stiffness of the smoke, making it easier to inhale. But, on the other hand, added sugar increases the amount of harmful chemicals in the smoke and causes addiction to Smoking.
The researchers interviewed 4350 adult smokers cigarettes. In particular, respondents answered two questions that assessed the knowledge and awareness of added sugar in cigarettes:
- Add the sugar in cigarettes?
- The addition of sugar in the cigarettes increases the toxins in cigarette smoke. Before this survey, have you heard anything about this effect of adding sugar?
In addition, participants could give open comments to the common questionnaire.
The researchers found that only 5.5% of respondents knew about the added sugar in cigarettes. In General, even after combining into groups according to various characteristics (gender, age, income, level of education, race, and ethnicity), their number does not exceed 10%.
That sugar increases the amount of toxins in the smoke, were aware of only 3.8% of the participants. In the comments of the 48 participants mentioned sugar. 52% of these comments expressed an interest in learning more about added sugar, and 23% said the topic of sugar interesting or informative. In addition, 3 participants noted that knowledge of the added sugar prompted them to quit Smoking or reduce the number of cigarettes smoked.
Knowledge is power, and there is a clear gap in awareness, says lead researcher Andrew Seidenberg (Seidenberg Andrew). Researchers believe that the dissemination of information about added sugar in cigarettes can be a promising new approach for campaigns to prevent Smoking.
Noel brewer (Noel Brewer), who studied in another study the labels on cigarette packages about toxic chemicals and public awareness of the dangers of the ingredients of cigarette smoke, says the Added sugar in cigarettes creates the triad of death. It makes cigarettes more attractive, more exciting and more deadly. Smokers should know that they smoke, and they do not. Cigarettes are dangerous in many different ways, so people find it difficult to track. Scientists continue to look for new ways in which cigarettes harm and death.
Given the low awareness, the interest in the smokers and the increased popularity of the problems associated with added sugar in food and drinks, scientists consider it necessary to develop ways of disseminating information about the added sugar in cigarettes and test for the introduction of media in public health.
Valeria SEMA