The concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in tobacco smoke is reduced by incorporating zinc oxide and a nitrate of a Group IIa and IIb metal into tobacco.

The present invention provides a smokeable product such as cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco and the like, having meerschaum particles of 100 .mu. diameter as the absorbent and of which at least a part of the tobacco is regenerated tobacco formed of pulp and/or tobacco substitute formed of a pulp. The inventive smokable products exhibit selective absorption of certain injurious smoke components.

A system and method is provided for dispersing fine catalyst powders having nanoscale or microscale particles throughout the tobacco rod portion of a cigarette. A source of vacuum is connected to the filter end of a cigarette through a tube that is sealingly engaged with the filter end of the cigarette. The opposite cut filler end of the tobacco rod portion of the cigarette is placed in the proximity of a predetermined amount of the catalyst powder contained in a container. The vacuum is applied to the cigarette filter in an amount and for a period of time that is a function of the size and quantity of the particles to be drawn into and dispersed throughout the tobacco rod portion of the cigarette.

Cut filler compositions, cigarettes, methods for making cigarettes and methods for smoking cigarettes are provided, which involve the use of an oxyhydroxide compound that is capable of decomposing to form at least one product capable of acting as an oxidant for the conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and/or as a catalyst for the conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. The oxyhydroxide compound and/or the product formed from the decomposition of the oxyhydroxide can be in the form of nanoparticles. Cut filler compositions are described which comprise tobacco and at least one such oxyhydroxide compound. Cigarettes are provided, which comprise a tobacco rod, containing a cut filler having at least one such oxyhydroxide compound. Methods for making a cigarette are provided, which involve (i) adding at least one such oxyhydroxide compound to a cut filler; (ii) providing the cut filler comprising the oxyhydroxide compound to a cigarette making machine to form a tobacco rod; and (iii) placing a paper wrapper around the tobacco rod to form the cigarette. Methods of smoking the cigarette, as described above, are also provided, which involve lighting the cigarette to form smoke and inhaling the smoke, wherein during the smoking of the cigarette, the oxyhydroxide compound decomposes during smoking to form a compound that acts as an oxidant for the conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and/or as a catalyst for the conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide.

Cut filler compositions, cigarettes, methods for making cigarettes and methods for smoking cigarettes which involve the use of manganese oxide mixtures that include nanoparticle manganese oxide and other nanoparticle additive(s) capable of converting carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and/or converting nitric oxide to nitrogen. The compositions, articles and methods of the invention can be used to reduce the amount of carbon monoxide and/or nitric oxide present in mainstream smoke reaching the smoker and/or given off in secondhand smoke. The manganese oxide can be co-precipitated with the additive(s), or mechanically mixed with the additive(s) to form the manganese oxide mixture. The manganese oxide may have a lower light-off temperature than the additive, such that during smoking of the cigarette, the heat generated from the oxidation of carbon monoxide by manganese oxide is capable of activating the additive. The additive may include iron oxide (Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3) nanoparticles.