The health ministry has decided to analyze all substances found in popular cigarette brands to better understand the adverse health effects of smoking with the aim of reflecting the data in its future countermeasures, according to officials.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has also decided to launch an expert panel by the end of this year to discuss stricter regulations for tobacco manufacturers and measures to prevent health hazards posed by second-hand smoking, the officials said.
A cigarette usually contains flavoring agents and many other addictive ingredients in addition to tar and nicotine.
When analyzing cigarette ingredients in fiscal 2000, the ministry only investigated about 30 preselected harmful substances, the officials said.
In the envisaged test, however, the ministry would not only look into every ingredient, but also release the levels of carcinogenic materials found in cigarettes, which is not yet clearly known, the officials said.
The ministry will select about 10 brands popular in Japan and ask an outside research institution to analyze the substances within the cigarettes and smoke.
The results of the test will be reported to the panel--which will consist of medical experts and consumers--for use in its discussions.
Currently, a pack of cigarettes only lists the amounts of tar and nicotine in the product. However, the ministry believes it is necessary to understand the makeup of cigarettes, as combustion may chemically change other materials into harmful substances.
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