The Best-Kept Secrets About Organic Cigarettes

When you hear “organic,” what comes to mind? Something “healthy” and “natural,” right? That more or less applies to organic cigarettes as well. It is all about the tobacco stuffed within these “death sticks” which makes them organic and appealing to beginners or those looking to cut down on smoking. Here’s your rundown of all things organic cigarette.

What are Organic Cigarettes?

The organic cigarette is a self-explanatory term, meaning a cigarette stuffed with organically grown tobacco. Like any organic produce, the tobacco used for organic cigarettes is cultivated without pesticides, fertilizers, and other harmful chemicals. There’s nothing special about the organic cigarette’s production process but the tobacco. Thanks to the organically grown and minimally processed tobacco, these organic smokes give out the illusion of increased safety. Plus, tobacco companies often market them as “natural,” “organic,” or “additive-free” to add to the illusion.

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Organic Cigarettes: Market Trends

The organic cigarette market is on a tear, worth USD 141.8 million in 2018, and likely to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% from thereon. What fuels the growth? Well, it’s the rising health awareness. As tobacco’s health impact becomes evident, smokers are turning to organic cigarettes promoted as a safer option to traditional smokes by tobacco companies.

In 2018, flue-cured tobacco made over USD 60 million, gaining popularity for its high sugar content and lower nicotine. Fire-cured tobacco is set to grow at a CAGR of 9.7% from 2018 to 2025, driven by its excellent flavor and aroma. Sun-cured products are expected to hit USD 67.4 million in revenue by 2025, favored in Mediterranean countries.

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For “health-conscious” smokers, it’s like going au naturel.

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Organic Cigarette Vs. Herbal Cigarette:

Do not mistake an organic cigarette for an herbal one. While both pretend to be a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, they are poles apart. Herbal cigarettes skip tobacco outright or use it sparingly for flavor’s sake. Instead, they come loaded with herbs, such as mint, chamomile, rose petals, passionflower, lavender, and so on. Read More…

The absence of tobacco doesn’t make herbal cigarettes safe. When burned, they still produce tar, carbon monoxide, and other toxins to cause serious health damage. However, the lack of nicotine makes these smokers less addictive. Even smokers looking to quit use herbal cigarettes as nonsmoking aids, which speaks for their growing popularity.

Organic cigarettes, on the other hand, contain tobacco. Even though it’s organic, it is tobacco nonetheless, as health-unfriendly as ever, causing cancers and other fatal diseases. Plus, they often lead to nicotine dependence.

	Herbal Cigarettes	Organic Cigarettes
Composition	Herbs like mint, chamomile, rose petals, etc.	Tobacco, grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or chemicals
Tobacco/Nicotine	Usually Absent	Always Present
Harmful Substances	Tar, carbon monoxide, and other toxins	Heavy metals, tar, carbon monoxide & more
Health Impact	Inhaling burnt herbs is harmful to the lungs	Levels of toxic and cancer-causing chemicals similar to regular brands
Addictiveness	No nicotine means no addiction	Higher nicotine levels, potentially more addictive

The bottom line: Whether it’s herbal, slim, light, clove, or organic, any smoke is potentially dangerous.

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Are Oragnic Ciagrattes Safe?

Image Courtesy: Freepik

Let’s face it. Organic cigarettes are as big a health hazard as any cigarette can be. Just sample their contents.

Nicotine:

The prime culprit is the nicotine found in tobacco. Nicotine is addictive, and hikes up blood pressure and heart rate, and messes with your arteries. Not to mention, it’s cozying up to cardiovascular diseases and even emphysema, a nasty lung condition. If you’re expecting, lighting up boosts the chances of miscarriages and stillbirth. Even the little ones exposed to nicotine in the womb face health hiccups down the road. And here’s the kicker – too much nicotine might cause vomiting, a racing heart, wobbly steps, and a drool-fest. Kids are more vulnerable to this nicotine overload.

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Others:

Nicotine is the biggest hazard in organic tobacco but not the only one. An organic cigarette also throws nasty stuff like heavy metals, carbon monoxide, and tar. The heavy metals like cadmium and lead can even team up with cancer while carbon monoxide can stir up heart diseases and other health woes. Likewise, tar exposes you to lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. Every time you light up, you also inhale formaldehyde, benzene, and hydrogen cyanide – highly toxic and known cancer-causers. These unwanted guests are too big a price to pay for some momentary relief.

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Compounds	Hazards
Nicotine	Addictive, Elevates blood pressure and heart rate, & causes cardiovascular diseases and emphysema, miscarriages and stillbirth, and nicotine overload
Cadmium and Lead	Heavy metals, linked to cancer
Carbon Monoxide	Poisonous gas, associated with heart diseases
Tar	Exposure leads to lung cancer and respiratory diseases
Formaldehyde	Carcinogen, used in the production of resins, plastics, and textiles
Benzene	Carcinogen, used in the production of plastics, synthetic fibers, and rubber
Hydrogen Cyanide	Highly toxic, used in the production of plastics, synthetic fibers, and rubber

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Organic Cigarettes: What Research Reveals?

The dangers of organic cigarettes are research-backed and well-documented.

1. University of Minnesota Study:

The researchers at the University of Minnesota investigated Natural American Spirit cigarettes, one of the best organic cigarette brands. They brought in a smoking machine – a gadget that mimics taking a drag on a cigarette and checks out the chemicals it lets loose.

Guess what they uncovered?

The levels of nasty and cancer-causing stuff in Natural American Spirit cigarettes are pretty much on par with what you’d find in your regular cigarette brands.

Worst still, the tobacco and smoke from these “organic” cigarettes carry higher levels of nicotine compared to the usual suspects.

So, if you find it hard to give up organic cigarettes, don’t be surprised.

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2. Truth Initiative Study:

Sample another study. This one from the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies at Truth Initiative dug into the beliefs of Natural American Spirit smokers.

Turns out, nearly 64 percent of them think their cigarettes are less harmful than the rest.

Now, let’s put that in perspective – only 8.3 percent of other brand smokers share the same belief.

So, Natural American Spirit smokers are more than 22 times more likely to think their brand is safer, even though there’s zero evidence supporting that claim.

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Organic Cigarettes Price:

Organic cigarettes cost more than regular ones. The reason lies in the way organic tobacco is grown. No chemicals or pesticides, but that means more hands-on care and time in growing. The increased effort and time to produce organic tobacco make them a tad more expensive. Plus, they often get pitched as a “healthier” choice, which adds to the price tag. The organic nature of these smokes might transform into higher prices and better taste but not safety.

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Best Organic Cigarette Brands:

With smokers seeking a “healthier” puff, we see trends favoring organic cigarettes. That’s where the organic brands kick in, supporting the growing demand. Adore them or hate them, they are a reality. On the note that the organic cigarette is a killer, let’s walk you through the leading brands that are killing their best customers, one puff at a time. From globally recognized brands to Organic Cigarettes Shark Tank, our list includes it and more.

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1. Natural American Spirit

Image Courtesy: Stanford

Introduced: 1982; 42 years ago
Country of Origin: United States
Present Owner: Reynolds American
Manufacturer: Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company

Currently owned by Reynolds American, Natural American Spirit started as just another cigarette brand in 1982. It was only in 2000 that it began to market its cigarettes as “100% chemical-additive-free, natural tobacco, and nothing else.” As of 2023, Natural American Spirit is one of the leading organic cigarette brands with a strong presence in the US, Canada, much of Europe, Japan, Brazil, and beyond. As an ex-smoker, I can vouch for the brand’s smooth, rich taste, diverse flavor profile, and fine mouthfeel, thanks to carefully sourced, minimally treated, 100% organic tobacco.

Back in 2010, Jerry Brown, the California Attorney General, secured an agreement with American Spirit Cigarettes Maker over Alleged Misleading Marketing of Organic Tobacco Products. The agreement clearly states that the brand’s tobacco is “no safer or healthier” than other tobacco products. Interestingly, 32 attorney generals from different states also became the signatories to the agreement. However, the brand has tweaked the nicotine and tar levels with fancy filters and special cigarette paper. It’s like a colorful palette of blends and tastes, each represented by a different hue.

Popular Color-Coded Varieties:

Black: Perique Rich Robust Taste	Blue: Original Blend Full-bodied Taste
Brown: Unique Non-Filtered	Celadon Green: Unique Balanced Taste
Dark Blue: Premium Full-Bodied Taste	Dark Green: Organic Full-Bodied Menthol
Gold: Organic Mellow Taste	Gray: Perique Rich Taste
Hunter Green: Full-Bodied Balanced Taste	Light Blue: Full-Bodied Taste
Light Green: Organic Mellow Menthol	Orange: Smooth Mellow Original Taste
Sky: Smooth Taste	Tan: U.S. Grown Premium Mellow Taste
Turquoise: Organic Full-Bodied Taste	Yellow: Original Blend Mellow Original Taste

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2. Organic Smokes

Organic Smokes isn’t an organic cigarette brand but a herbal one. The brand rolls organically sourced holy basil, camellia Sinensis, rose petals, and mint leaves into virgin paper with a cotton filter to craft “safer” alternatives to traditional smokes. These cigarettes also have a tar-out filter to keep things healthy. If Organic Smokes is something to go by, the cigarettes help with stress relief, fight jet lag, boost your mood, and even ease a cold. The company ditched nicotine in favor of other brain stimulants for that familiar kick without the tobacco harm.

Organic Smokes gained limelight when the owners appeared in a popular reality show, Shark Tank in anticipation of funding. Their ask was outrageous, INR 1 crore for 1% equity at a valuation of INR 100 crores. Despite being called “Disruptive Entrepreneur” by Lenskart’s Piyush, they failed to raise funding. However, the brand managed to earn the moniker, Organic Cigarettes Shark Tank. The brand is associated with herbal cigarettes and cigarillos in multiple flavors.

Organic Smokes Popular Variants:

Regular	Menthol	Herbal Blend	Pan Mint
Rose Lychee	Cola Ice	Green Mango	Mild

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Conclusion:

Organic cigarettes are tobacco products cultivated without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or other artificial chemicals. The organic cigarette brands market them as a healthier option compared to traditional cigarettes due to the absence of synthetic additives. However, it’s crucial to remember that no smoke is risk-free, and even so-called organic cigarettes still come with harmful substances. So, if you’re considering a change, it’s worth exploring various quitting resources rather than just switching to organic smokes. Your health will thank you!

FAQs:

1. What are organic cigarettes?

Cigarettes featuring organically grown tobacco qualify as organic cigarettes. Organic tobacco is grown in line with organic certification requirements, sustainably, and minus pesticides, fertilizers, and other harmful chemicals.

2. Is an Organic cigarette safe?

In one word, no. Even organic tobacco contains nicotine, carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and other carcinogens. Researchers even report organic cigarettes to be more addictive than regular ones.

3. What are the top organic cigarette brands?

Natural American Spirit is hands down the leading organic cigarette brand.