Common questions

Tobacco smoke is an extremely complex mixture of at least 4,000 known constituents which are either in tobacco or created when a tobacco product is burned.

Tar is not present in tobacco, but arises from tobacco being burned. It is defined as the fraction of smoke collected on a filter pad in the laboratory under specified conditions.

Nicotine is a substance which occurs naturally in the tobacco plant and becomes a constituent of tobacco smoke. It can be found in other plants, although at much lower levels than in tobacco.

Carbon monoxide is a gas which is formed by the incomplete burning of organic material.

A laboratory smoking machine is used to 'smoke' a number of cigarettes by an internationally recognised standard method. The smoke from cigarettes contains many tiny particles which are collected on a special filter pad, while the gases pass through the pad to allow the separate measurement of carbon monoxide. The residue of particles on the pad, including nicotine and water, is measured. The nicotine and water are then extracted and measured. The tar yield for printing on the cigarette pack is calculated by subtracting the amounts of nicotine and water from that originally collected on the filter pad.

Some ingredients may be added to tobacco products during manufacture for various reasons. Flavourings and other ingredients typically used in food are included in some brands to contribute to their individual distinctive taste or aroma. We do not add anything to our products in order to make it more difficult to stop smoking, or to make them attractive to children.

Visit the 'what’s in a cigarette?' page to view the ingredients of your brand.

Please note that this database does not currently contain information on all of our brands. The ingredients of our brands in other markets will appear soon.