Cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke remains the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, and is a major public health concern. To accurately assess and track this problem, suitable biomarkers with specific and sensitive analytical methods are essential. HPLC coupled with API tandem mass spectrometry has proven to provide the high sensitivity, selectivity and robust performance needed for this purpose. In this report we will describe the development of tandem mass spectrometric methods for the measurement of the nicotine metabolite cotinine, and of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine, NNAL, and results from their application in national epidemiologic surveys.
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