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How the Technology Works
Marketing of Reduced-Nicotine Cigarettes

The basic technology behind the genetically engineered reduced-nicotine tobacco was developed in the mid-1990's by Dr. Mark Conkling of North Carolina State University (now vice president of genetic research at Vector Tobacco). He discovered an enzyme in the roots of tobacco plants that was important to the synthesis of nicotine and other related compounds (carcinogens called nitrosamines) in the plant. Using genetic engineering to block the production of this enzyme, Dr. Conkling and Vector Tobacco created tobacco plants that produce dramatically reduced levels (nearly zero) of nicotine and nitrosamines. Although the technology currently does still leave trace levels of nicotine in the tobacco leaves, Vector Tobacco is working to further reduce nicotine to undetectable levels.
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Commercial farm production of the reduced-nicotine tobacco varieties began in the 2002 growing season. Vector Tobacco contracted tobacco growers in Mississippi, Louisiana, Illinois, and Pennsylvania (including many Amish farmers) to plant 5000 acres of the GE tobacco, for which the farmers will be paid a premium. The company chose growers in regions not traditionally associated with tobacco production in order to reduce the likelihood of contamination by nicotine-containing conventional tobacco varieties.

The cigarettes are marketed under the brand-name "Quest," and were first available in regional markets in late 2002 or early 2003. Because nicotine is the main addictive compound in cigarettes, the new cigarettes may appeal to people who wish to reduce or stop smoking. However, Vector Tobacco does not have approval from the FDA to claim that the tobacco product is a "smoking cessation device," but instead will market the brand to "smokers seeking to reduce exposure to nicotine only."

The reduced-nicotine "Quest" cigarettes should not to be confused with the "Omni" product line of Vector Tobacco. The Omni line use a number of other (non-genetic engineering) technologies to reduce some carcinogenic components in tobacco leaf and cigarette smoke, such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrosamines, and catechols. Early press releases suggested that the nicotine-free products would be marketed under the name "Omni Free."

[NOTE: Reductions in the levels of the compounds have not been proven to result in a safer cigarette. The product still contains other harmful compounds.]
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Vector Tobacco, Inc.