Cigarette smoking guide
April 8th, 2014
Terminology What do the numbers mean? The numbers like “100’s” and “120’s” refer to the length of the tobacco rod in millimeters.
What is the difference between menthol and… whatever they call non menthol cigarettes? The other kind of cigarettes are called ‘non menthol’ or regular. The difference is menthol cigarettes have a major non tobacco additive that make them minty tasting. Very few people enjoy switching from one type to the other… but I do.
Menthol, and Regular… is there anything else? You bet there is! The next major ‘flavor’ is Clove. You know cloves… the spice they put on hams well, turns out they can be mixed with tobacco too! Some brands are extremely strong. Djarium Black is not something one should smoke while driving… or walking. Find a nice place to sit down first. Seriously, you’ll thank me.
Menthol, Regular, and Clove… I got it. Wait there are tons more! Most are self explanatory cherry, chocolate, orange mint, mango, et al. One good one worth explaining is Perique. The only brand I know that uses this is American Spirit. It has a quite different taste that I describe as “vaguely cucumber y… in a good way”.
Does filter/non filter make a difference? Oh MY Yes! Non filter cigarettes come in short stubby packs, and don’t have a filter end. You can light either end I choose the end that looks most cohesive to stick in my mouth. Non filter cigarettes are a completely different smoking experience. They are very easy to inhale from (no resistance from a filter). It is almost as easy as breathing through a straw. The amount of actual smoke you get is much higher (none is absorbed by the filter). If you are just starting DO NOT start on non filter cigarettes. Try one after you get a few packs down. Non filters have tar and nicotine levels 30 45% higher than their filter counterparts.
What about Lights, Mediums, Ultra Lights, and all that? I’m not sure exactly how lower tar and nicotine levels are produced, but I suspect it has to do with the filter. Lights typically have 50 70% the level of nicoine, Ultras have about 30%.
Why would I want Lights? Aren’t I just getting less smokey goodness? Some people find “full flavored” to be too harsh. Other people think they are doing something ‘good’ for themselves. Most of the time people will just smoke more Lights, or inhale deeper to get the nicotine levels they want. Buying lights is like getting a Big Mac with a Diet Coke. If you like the taste of Diet Coke Good for you! But the meal is still fattening.
Brand Reviews By Me Discontinued Camel Rare Menthol and regular versions are available. This is easily the best cigarette produced… if you can find it. Rare is to cigarettes what Stradivarius is to cellos. These make everything else look bad. If you can get a pack get a pack. They come in a metal tin, and are noticably more expensive than ‘common’ cigarettes.
FOUR STAR Camel Menthol A semi new cigarette with a nice punch. A bit harsher than Newport, but with a better smoke rush. You feel these. Parliament It has a recessed filter! Why? I don’t know… so your tongue never touches the cotton filter? So it just has less filter? Cheaper to produce? I just don’t know. These are quite good and I like the form factor of the recessed filter. THREE STAR American Spirit Regular and menthol, full flavor and light, this is a solid brand of smokes. Recommended for anyone.
Kamel Red/Kamel Red Light This is a good and readily available line. Nothing spectacular, but not bad in the least.
Djarium Black These are amazing. Why? Because they’re legal. If you’re not used to smoking I suggest you get a pack just to try them out. You may get dizzy, so look out. These are very tightly packed and can burn for 20 minutes. I’ve never seen anyone smoke one of these in under 15 minutes and not get ill.
The hill mobile – fda pulls cigarette brand from stores
Federal regulators are using their authority under a 2009 law for the first time.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first time on Friday used its authority under a 2009 law to remove cigarettes from stores.
The FDA is forcing Jash International to stop selling and distributing its line of Sutra Bidi tobacco products in the U.S., and is giving retailers 30 days to pull the products from shelves.
Existing inventory may be subject to enforcement action, including seizure, without further notice, the FDA said in a release. Companies that continue to sell and distribute these products in the United States may be subject to enforcement actions by the FDA.
The FDA said Jash did not submit updated applications for a line of cigarettes up for review under The Tobacco Control Act.
Companies with tobacco products on the market when the law passed in 2009 had until 2011 to prove they met new requirements. If they failed to do so, Congress gave the FDA the authority to declare the products illegal.
Friday marks the first time the FDA has ordered a manufacturer of cigarettes to withdraw a product from the market.
The tobacco industry has been under a sustained assault by the Obama administration and Democrats in recent months.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius pledged in an op ed on Friday that her administration was working to make the next generation tobacco free.
In January, the surgeon general released a report detailing new health consequences related to smoking to mark the 50th anniversary of its landmark report tying smoking to lung cancer.
The surgeon general proposed new end game strategies aimed at the 42 million adult and 3 million young adult smokers in the U.S., such as hard hitting media campaigns, tobacco excise taxes high enough to deter young smokers and easy to access cessation treatment.
Meanwhile, some retailers are also beginning to consider whether they want to sell cigarettes at all.
The drug store chain CVS Caremark earlier this month announced it would phase out cigarettes, chewing tobacco and cigars by Oct. 1.
We’ve come to the conclusion that cigarettes have no place in a setting where health care is being delivered, said CVS Caremark CEO Larry Merlo.
Democrats are urging other stores to follow CVS s lead, sending letters to Wal Mart, Walgreen Co., Rite Aid Corp. and the National Association of Chain Drug Store urging them to stop sales of tobacco products.
In its Friday release, the FDA touted its new control over the tobacco industry.
Historically, tobacco companies controlled which products came on and off the market without any oversight, Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA s Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement.
But the Tobacco Control Act gave the FDA, a science based regulatory agency, the authority to review applications and determine which new tobacco products may be sold and distributed under the law in order to protect public health.