The Chemistry of Tobacco and Tobacco Smoke

The present volume comprises a compilation of papers pre sented as a Symposium on the Chemical Composition of Tobacco and Tobacco Smoke during a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D. C., September 12-17, 1971. The Symposium was organized so as to cover, in the time allotted, those aspects of tobacco research that are both per tinent and relevant to the most demanding problem facing research ers in the field today--that is the development of a less hazard ous cigarette. The path to such an objective, however, is still rather long and not easily traversed. For example, in identifying the hazard associated with smok ing, one must first know something of the chemical composition of tobacco smoke, and moreover, how the smoke components arise from the various leaf components. In addition, bioassays of smoke fractions and components therein are necessary to identify noxlous substances, and to correlate biological activity with chemical composition. Finally, to achieve the stated objective, methods need to be developed for removing the identified hazards from the smoke--whether they be by specially cultivating tobacco plants, or by modifying tobacco smoke through the use of filters, additives or similar devices.