Cigarette

Cigarette
Augustus Binu : flickr · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Cigarette
Caption	Commercially manufactured cigarettes
Type	Tobacco product
Origin	Americas
Introduced	19th century
Markets	Worldwide

Cigarette A cigarette is a small cylindrical roll of finely cut Tobacco leaves wrapped in paper and intended to be smoked, inhaled, or held in the mouth. It emerged from traditional Indigenous smoking practices and became industrialized during the 19th century, spreading globally through trade networks involving British Empire, United States, France, and Spain. Major firms such as British American Tobacco, Philip Morris International, Japan Tobacco International, Imperial Brands, and Altria shaped global distribution and advertising.

History

The precursor to the modern cigarette includes practices among Taíno people and other Native American communities who smoked dried Tobacco in pipes and as rolled leaves. Early records show commercialization in the 19th century with factories in Seville, Paris, London, and New York City supplying soldiers during the Crimean War, American Civil War, and later World War I, accelerating adoption among populations in United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States. Innovations such as the Benson & Hedges machine and the Moynihan machine enabled mass production, while advertising tie-ins with celebrities from Charlie Chaplin to Marilyn Monroe and sponsorships of Olympic Games and Formula One promoted consumption. Public health recognition began with early 20th‑century studies by researchers in Germany, United Kingdom, and United States, culminating in landmark reports like the 1964 Surgeon General's report that led to regulatory shifts in countries including Canada, Australia, and members of the European Union.

Manufacture and Types

Commercial manufacture relies on automated machines that blend cut tobacco, apply paper and filters, and package products for markets such as China, India, Russia, Brazil, and Indonesia. Varieties include filter and non‑filter; light, ultra‑light and full‑flavor; mentholated varieties associated with firms such as R.J. Reynolds; and hand‑rolled or roll‑your‑own products favored in regions like Greece and Turkey. Regional products include Turkish cigarettes made with Oriental tobacco, Cuban cigarillo‑style rolls influenced by Havana production, and flavored kreteks from Indonesia produced by companies like Djarum. Packaging formats range from soft packs to hard boxes; single sticks and industrial cartons are distributed through channels including retail chains like Walmart, corner stores, and duty‑free shops at Heathrow Airport and other hubs.

Composition and Additives

The core ingredient is cured Tobacco leaf, often blended from varieties such as Virginia tobacco, Burley tobacco, and Oriental tobacco. Additives—used by manufacturers including Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco—may include humectants like glycerol, flavoring agents including menthol and cocoa extracts, and casings that affect burn rate and taste; regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission have assessed additive impacts. Combustion produces thousands of chemicals, including well‑known constituents such as nicotine, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons identified in studies by institutions like the World Health Organization and research centers at Johns Hopkins University and University of California, San Francisco.

Health Effects

Cigarette smoking is causally linked to diseases identified by expert bodies such as the World Health Organization and the U.S. Surgeon General; major outcomes include lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Epidemiological evidence from cohort studies like those coordinated by British Doctors Study investigators and cancer registries such as Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program demonstrates dose‑response relationships for morbidity and mortality. Secondhand smoke exposure has prompted litigation involving firms such as Brown & Williamson and regulatory actions in jurisdictions including New York City and California to protect workers and the public. Smoking cessation interventions studied by researchers at Mayo Clinic, National Institutes of Health, and University College London include behavioral counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, pharmacotherapies like varenicline evaluated by Food and Drug Administration review, and population measures such as tax increases and plain packaging.

Regulation and Public Policy

Public policy responses have ranged from taxation policies implemented by national treasuries in United Kingdom and Australia to advertising bans and smoke‑free laws enacted in cities such as New York City and countries like Ireland and Bhutan. International frameworks include the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control negotiated under the World Health Organization which sets standards for packaging, advertising, and illicit trade controls. Litigation—most notably the United States v. Philip Morris USA cases and major settlements such as the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement—shaped disclosure, marketing restrictions, and industry payments. Regulatory oversight by agencies such as the European Medicines Agency (for cessation products) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (for tobacco product regulation) continues to affect product standards, ingredient reporting, and youth access controls.

Culture and Economy

Smoking has been represented in works by artists and writers connected to Ernest Hemingway, Marcel Proust, Gustave Flaubert, and filmmakers associated with Hollywood imagery; brands have used endorsements from public figures like Babe Ruth and Audrey Hepburn historically. Economically, the tobacco industry is a major agribusiness and manufacturing sector involving supply chains in Zimbabwe, Brazil, United States Department of Agriculture‑monitored regions, and corporate operations at firms like Altria Group; it contributes excise revenues to treasuries of Canada, Russia, and many developing nations. Cultural shifts, public health campaigns by organizations such as Action on Smoking and Health and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and the rise of alternatives including products regulated by U.S. Food and Drug Administration have changed prevalence and social norms across societies from Japan to South Africa.

Category:Tobacco products