The Tobacco and Human Smoking Facility is located near the main HSPH campus. The facility is equipped to perform basic tests on tobacco products and research with human subjects.  A list of specific areas of current research follows:

• Cigarette physical design analysis (physical features, ventilation, pressure drop)
• Cigarette ignition propensity (fire safe testing)
• Human smoking topography
• Collection of biomarker measures of human exposure to tobacco toxins
• Secondhand smoke measurement and characterization
• Air quality monitoring in public places
• Assessment of consumer responses to products and messaging, using:
• Cognitive interviews
• Focus groups
• Standard survey methods
• Web-based surveys
• GPS tracking for assessing location of public tobacco advertising within communities

Research studies conducted in the smoking facility have been supported by National Cancer Institute, American Legacy Foundation and the Flight Attendants Medical Research Institute. Recent projects have included topography and exposure switching studies of potentially reduced exposure products and fire safer cigarettes, human hookah smoking research, ignition propensity (fire safer cigarette) testing, and human sensory testing of low sidestream emission cigarettes.

For additional information about the facility, please contact:
Dr. Vaughan Rees
Email: vrees@hsph.harvard.edu