A new study shows that the amount of nicotine in cigarettes has increased by a full 10 percent in the last six years, making the damn things easier to get hooked on, harder to quit, and more destructive to your body. And for some brands, that understates the increase. Kool cigarettes, a top brand for African-American smokers, has boosted their nicotine by a full 20 percent. And light brands, by the way, show no significant difference in nicotine.
Quick rant: Like most nonsmokers, I've no interest in berating my friends for lighting up, even though I find the sight wrenching. As someone who follows health care data, a stunning percentage of the studies that flit across my screen show enhanced harm from smoking. The damn things literally kill you, accelerating an almost unimaginable number of terminal illnesses to a degree we'd not known even a decade ago. The data is so chilling that I'd be genuinely unable to seriously date a smoker. Folks can do what they want -- the libertarians are right about that -- but it's terrible to watch.
