TOBACCO: Tar Down

Burned by research linking smoking with lung cancer and by congressional charges that many filters actually filter very little (TIME, March 3), tobaccomen are quietly reducing nicotine and tars in cigarettes. Last week Consumer Reports, whose March 1957 tests played a large part in the congressional blast, reported results of latest tests, showing milligram declines in the last year. Those brands lowest in content:

Tar Nicotine

King Sano From 11 to 10 1.0 to 0.8

Kent king 15* to 12 2.8= to 1.4

Marlboro 18 to 14 2.9 to 1.9

Old Gold filter 19 to 14 3.1 to 1.8

Old Gold straight (new) 14 1.5

Parliament 20 to 14 3.4 to 1.9

Philip Morris reg. 18 to 15 2.9 to 2.0

Tareyton filter 19 to 15 2.3 to 2.1

Viceroy 18 to 15 2.8 to 2.2 Lucky Strike 19 to 16 2.6 to 2.1