I couldn't get my usual brand of cigarettes this week. Usually I get Dunhill Red, but they didn't have them at the shop, so I got Winfield Red (slightly stronger than my usual ones).
I noticed a link to the tobacco companies web site on the packet, so I went there. I read some of the material that they released, and ended up trying to find out about the ingredients, which is something that I always think about, but don't know much about.
An interesting thing that I learned was that 70% of the cost of a cigarette is tax (that really shits me).
I don't like their advertising that says 'Smoking Kills' on the cover, I don't like the effect of negative reinforcement that it invariably has on my subconcious mind, especially given that the last I heard only 25% of smokers die of smoking related diseases. I don't even like being reminded of death on a daily basis, it's a very negative thing and makes me depressed.
Anyway, I ended up finding the 'composite' ingredients list, and this is the stuff that worries me. I know tobacco isn't good for your health. But what about the stuff that they wrap the smoke in, or filter it with. A cigarette filter has always worried me, the stuff looks like it could very well be aespestos. I checked out the ingredients in the filter, and they were listed as Cellulose acetate, Activated carbon, Triacetin and Titanium dioxide.
I didn't find a lot of information on this stuff, because I didn't spend the time looking. But I found some info on Titanium dioxide from the U.S. Department of Labor - Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Turns out this stuff isn't good for you. I wonder why it is in cigarette filters then? Especially given that the tobacco should be bad enough..
John.