What is the lightest american spirit cigarette

Natural American Spirit cigarette packs stand out on a shelf, and not just because of their brightly colored packaging. It is the only major cigarette brand that makes the claims “natural,” “organic” and “additive-free.”

Researchers at the Schroeder Institute® for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies at Truth Initiative found that nearly 64 percent of Natural American Spirit smokers inaccurately believe the cigarettes are less harmful than other brands. That compares to 8.3 percent of smokers of other brands. Put another way, Natural American Spirit smokers are over 22 times more likely than other smokers to believe their brand is less harmful, despite the fact that there is no evidence that they are any safer.

The study, published in Tobacco Control, found that 2.3 percent (920,000) of U.S. adult smokers reported Natural American Spirit as their usual brand. That may not sound like a lot, but the brand, produced by Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company and owned by RJ Reynolds, is growing fast. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, use of Natural American Spirit cigarettes grew 554 percent between 2002 to 2013 among all age groups.

The new research found that compared to smokers of other cigarette brands, the typical Natural American Spirit smoker:

• is younger (between 18 and 34);
• frequently thinks about the harms of his or her tobacco use;
• has used alcohol and/or marijuana in the past 30 days; and
• is more likely to identify as LGBT

This study confirmed the findings of earlier research from Truth Initiative® on the influence the packs have on consumers. A paper published in May 2016 showed that 50 to 60 percent of U.S. adults viewed Natural American Spirit cigarettes as less harmful than a comparison pack of Marlboro Red cigarettes.

“Misperceptions about the harms of cigarettes may encourage smokers to switch brands rather than quit smoking entirely, or may increase intent to try the product,” said Dr. Jennifer Pearson, research investigator at the Schroeder Institute and lead author on the study. “Given Natural American Spirit’s rapid growth, the FDA needs to enforce the law to ensure Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company and RJ Reynolds can no longer mislead consumers about the safety of their product.”

These studies provide further evidence of the need for FDA action on Natural American Spirit's misleading cigarette packaging.

Learn more about “natural,” “organic” and “additive-free” cigarettes.

Key takeaways

18-34

The typical Natural American Spirit smoker is younger (18 - 34).

30 days

The typical Natural American Spirit smoker has used alcohol and/or marijuana in the past 30 days.

LGBT

The typical Natural American Spirit smoker is more likely to identify as LGBT.

The tobacco industry experienced a major legal defeat in 2006 when it was found to have systematically defrauded the American public with decades of false information, including the deceptive marketing of some types of cigarettes as less harmful than others with terms like “low tar,” “light,” “ultra light,” “mild” and “natural.”

Although the law now prohibits the tobacco industry from using these product descriptors, companies are still misleading consumers with marketing that suggests certain cigarettes, such as those from the Natural American Spirit brand, are natural, organic and additive-free, and therefore may be less risky.

“The serious risk of this misconception is that millions of smokers will continue to smoke cigarettes they falsely believe are less harmful instead of quitting smoking,” write the authors in the opening paper of a Tobacco Regulatory Science special issue on the topic, co-authored by Truth Initiative Schroeder Institute® Vice President Barbara Schillo.

Research shows that these claims do mislead consumers. For example, nearly 64% of American Spirit smokers inaccurately believe the cigarettes are less harmful than other brands compared with 8.3% of smokers of other brands, according to a Truth Initiative study published in Tobacco Control. Previous research found the characteristics of American Spirit cigarette packs, including the descriptors “Made with Organic Tobacco,” “100% Additive-Free” and “100% U.S. Grown Tobacco,” led 50-60% of U.S. adults to incorrectly believe that American Spirit cigarettes are less harmful than a comparison cigarette pack.

The new research published in Tobacco Regulatory Science provides “a consistent message that cigarette pack design elements and descriptors continue to influence smokers,” the authors write. Here’s a look at its main findings.

American Spirit may be more addictive than other brands.

American Spirit cigarettes may be more addictive than other cigarettes and many varieties of the brand have “high levels of nicotine,” according to one study on the issue. After analyzing the physical characteristics and chemicals in the smoke and tobacco filler of American Spirit cigarettes and five other cigarette brands, researchers found that American Spirit cigarettes generally have more tobacco filler, and, as a result, produce a higher number of puffs — which may expose the brand’s smokers to more tobacco chemicals per cigarette than smokers of other brands.

Another study measured the exposure of harmful or potentially harmful ingredients in American Spirit smokers and in smokers of four other cigarette brands. The results show American Spirit smokers had a higher exposure to nicotine per cigarette smoked compared with other brands, which suggested a “greater addictive potential.”

American Spirit ads convey the cigarettes as less harmful and non-addictive.

American Spirit launched a new campaign in 2017 featuring the phrases “Real. Simple. Different.” and “Tobacco Ingredients: Tobacco & Water.” after being required to remove the terms "additive-free" and "natural" from its product labels, advertising and promotional materials by the Food and Drug Administration. (The company was allowed to keep “natural” in its brand name.)

One study found the new ads still convey that American Spirit cigarettes are less harmful. Out of the 482 participants who viewed American Spirit ads with different combinations of the old and new terms, 26.1% of them surveyed believed the cigarettes were less harmful than others when the two newest phrases were used together.

The use of American Indian images and text portray a “natural” look.

The phrases “natural,” “organic” and “tobacco and water,” pictures of plants, farms and native imagery, like a thunderbird, and references to being environmentally friendly are just some tactics American Spirit relies on to “implicitly communicate naturalness,” said researchers who analyzed 244 ads between 2015-2018. The study notes that this is “particularly problematic” since research shows some of these methods contribute to perceptions of reduced harm.

Other research from the special issue finds that the design of American Spirit packs — including the terms and images — creates misperceptions among adults that the brand is owned by American Indians and/or grown by tribes, and is therefore “healthier and more desirable.”

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