MENTHOL Light cigarettes seem to be light only in name.

A recent study showed that light cigarettes are just as harmful and addictive as normal ones, even though they contain less nicotine - 0.6 to 1 mg, compared to 1.2 to 1.4 mg.

The study by the University of California, Los Angeles, was published in the scientific journal titled International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Dr Arthur Brody, a researcher behind the study, said very little nicotine is needed to occupy a "substantial portion" of the brain nicotine receptors, which then release a pleasure-inducing chemical that triggers the euphoria smokers experience.

This would mean that light cigarettes are just as addictive as normal ones.

For decades, cigarette makers have marketed low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes by suggesting that they are less harmful to health.

Last month, the United States Supreme Court ruled that companies that marketed cigarettes as "light" may be sued for fraud.

The decision opens the doors for dozens of lawsuits around the country for smokers to claim billions in damages.

In Singapore, the popularity of light cigarettes may have grown due to the perception that they pose fewer health risks. Smoking has been linked to health woes ranging from cancer and heart problems to strokes and gum disease.

While the overall volume of cigarettes sold here in 2007 had plunged by around 24 per cent since 2002, the volume of low-tar cigarettes sold has increased by 95 per cent.

This is according to a report published last November by market-research firm Euromonitor International.

In a straw poll of 10 Singapore cigarette retailers, eight told my paper that light cigarettes are popular among young professionals and executives who smoke.

Especially popular among female smokers are light varieties such as Virginia Uno and Marlboro Light, the retailers said. Older smokers prefer those with higher nicotine content, like Marlboro Reds.

One former smoker who was under the impression that light cigarettes are less harmful is actress Evelyn Maria Ng.

She said: "I tried to cut down (on smoking) by switching to light cigarettes, which I thought were safer. But I would smoke more sticks and inhale more."

She eventually quit, after suffering from lung pains and breathlessness.

Sales executive Danny Tan, 26, who favours menthol lights, said: "Social smokers smoke light cigarettes more because they think they're less harmful, but to regular smokers, it doesn't make a difference."

Dr Clarence Yeo, a general practitioner, said light cigarettes are just a "marketing ploy".

"From a medical point of view, they're just as harmful," he said.

dawnt@sph.com.sg

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