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"Light" Cigarettes and Cancer Risk

What is a so-called light cigarette.

Tobacco manufacturers have been redesigning cigarettes since the 1950s. Certain redesigned cigarettes with the following features were marketed as “light” cigarettes:

• Cellulose acetate filters (to trap tar).
• Highly porous cigarette paper (to allow toxic chemicals to escape).
• Ventilation holes in the filter tip (to dilute smoke with air).
• Different blends of tobacco.

When analyzed by a smoking machine, the smoke from a so-called light cigarette has a lower yield of tar than the smoke from a regular cigarette. However, a machine cannot predict how much tar a smoker inhales. Also, studies have shown that changes in cigarette design have not lowered the risk of disease caused by cigarettes ( 1 ).

On June 22, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which granted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products. One provision of the new law bans tobacco manufacturers from using the terms “light,” “low,” and “mild” in product labeling and advertisements. This provision went into effect on June 22, 2010. However, some tobacco manufacturers are using color-coded packaging (such as gold or silver packaging) on previously marketed products and selling them to consumers who may continue to believe that these cigarettes are not as harmful as other cigarettes ( 2 – 4 ).

Are light cigarettes less hazardous than regular cigarettes?

No. Many smokers chose so-called low-tar, mild, light, or ultralight cigarettes because they thought these cigarettes would expose them to less tar and would be less harmful to their health than regular or full-flavor cigarettes. However, light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. Tar exposure from a light cigarette can be just as high as that from a regular cigarette if the smoker takes long, deep, or frequent puffs. The bottom line is that light cigarettes do not reduce the health risks of smoking.

Moreover, there is no such thing as a safe cigarette. The only guaranteed way to reduce the risk to your health, as well as the risk to others, is to stop smoking completely.

Because all tobacco products are harmful and cause cancer, the use of these products is strongly discouraged. There is no safe level of tobacco use. People who use any type of tobacco product should quit. For help with quitting, refer to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) fact sheet Where To Get Help When You Decide To Quit Smoking .

Do light cigarettes cause cancer?

Yes. People who smoke any kind of cigarette are at much greater risk of lung cancer than people who do not smoke ( 5 ). Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and diminishes a person’s overall health.

People who switched to light cigarettes from regular cigarettes are likely to have inhaled the same amount of toxic chemicals, and they remain at high risk of developing smoking-related cancers and other disease ( 1 ). Smoking causes cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx (voice box), mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, stomach, and cervix, as well as acute myeloid leukemia ( 6 ).

Regardless of their age, smokers can substantially reduce their risk of disease, including cancer, by quitting.

What were the tar yield ratings used by the tobacco industry for light cigarettes?

Although no Federal agency formally defined the range of tar yield for light or ultralight cigarettes, the tobacco industry used the ranges shown in the table below ( 5 , 7 ).

These ratings were not an accurate indicator of how much tar a smoker might have been exposed to, because people do not smoke cigarettes the same way the machines do and no two people smoke the same way.

Ultralight and light cigarettes are no safer than full-flavor cigarettes. There is no such thing as a safe cigarette ( 1 ).

Are machine-measured tar yields misleading?

Yes. The ratings cannot be used to predict how much tar a smoker will actually get because the way the machine smokes a cigarette is not the way a person smokes a cigarette. A rating of 7 milligrams does not mean that you will get only 7 milligrams of tar. You can get just as much tar from a light cigarette as from a full-flavor cigarette. It all depends on how you smoke. Taking deeper, longer, and more frequent puffs will lead to greater tar exposure. Also, a smoker’s lips or fingers may block the air ventilation holes in the filter, leading to greater tar exposure ( 7 ).

Why would someone smoking a light cigarette take bigger puffs than with a regular cigarette?

Cigarette features that reduce the yield of machine-measured tar also reduce the yield of nicotine . Because smokers crave nicotine, they may inhale more deeply; take larger, more rapid, or more frequent puffs; or smoke extra cigarettes each day to get enough nicotine to satisfy their craving. As a result, smokers end up inhaling more tar, nicotine, and other harmful chemicals than the machine-based numbers suggest ( 1 ).

Tobacco industry documents show that companies were aware that smokers of light cigarettes compensated by taking bigger puffs. Industry documents also show that the companies were aware of the difference between machine-measured yields of tar and nicotine and what the smoker actually inhaled ( 8 ).

How can I get help to quit smoking?

There are many groups that can help smokers quit:

• Go online to Smokefree.gov ( http://www.smokefree.gov ), a webcreated by NCI’s Tobacco Control Research Branch, and use the Step-by-Step Quit Guide.
• Call NCI’s Smoking Quitline at 1–877–44U–QUIT ( 1–877–448–7848 ) for individualized counseling, printed information, and referrals to other sources.
• Refer to the NCI fact sheet Where To Get Help When You Decide To Quit Smoking .

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Long read: How Esse cigarettes are smoking rivals

Author: Sumant Banerji Source: The Mint (https://www.livemint.com/industry/how-esse-cigarettes-are-smoking-rivals-11705499896789.html )

India has historically attempted to curb smoking through a combination prohibitively high taxation, a ban on foreign investment and more recently a ban on e-cigarettes. And rightly so given the harmful nature of cigarettes on human health. Whilst this has resulted in slowing growth in cigarette consumption, also helped by increased awareness among the youth, there have been unintended consequences of these actions such as pushing consumers to cheaper variants of tobacco such as beedis and chewing tobacco and as this article brings out, massive growth in smuggled cigarettes.

“According to industry estimates, around 120 billion sticks are consumed in India every year and the share of smuggled cigarettes has grown to a fifth of this market, at roughly 30 billion sticks, up from 11.1 billion in 2004 (see graphic). As per a Ficci Cascade (committee against smuggling and counterfeiting activities destroying the economy) report, the market for illicit tobacco products in India in 2019-20 was valued at ₹22,930 crore.”

One particular Korean brand, Esse has become ubiquitous across cigarette stalls across the country.

“Esse is believed to have cornered at least 25-28% of this smuggled pie. Which means that while it can’t officially operate in India, it has managed to garner a reasonable share of India’s overall cigarette market. Inadvertently perhaps, India also accounts for a sizeable share of Esse’s near 50 billion sticks per annum overseas sales.”

Whilst the FDI ban allows an almost monopoly for the market leader ITC, Esse’s meaningful share of illegal cigarettes contests that. And the heavy taxation which was meant to discourage smoking itself seems to be making smuggling of cigarettes attractive as the untaxed smuggled cigarettes are meaningful cheaper than their legal counterparts.

“Evasion of the tax net explains Esse’s low price. One stick of smuggled Esse Lights costs ₹10, while a like-for-like slim Classic Connect stick, manufactured by Indian conglomerate ITC Ltd, costs ₹15 because of the tax component. A pack of 20 cigarettes of the Esse brand in Delhi is available for ₹180, against ₹340 for a pack of ITC’s Classic Milds—India’s bestselling cigarette. It’s a gap that ITC, despite its humongous 75% market share, cannot bridge.

“The mushrooming of illicit and smuggled products not only causes a significant revenue loss to the government exchequer but exports jobs from the country across the entire value chain, which includes impacting the livelihoods of Indian tobacco farmers as inputs used in smuggled cigarettes are not indigenous,” says Anil Rajput, president, corporate affairs and member, corporate management committee, ITC Ltd.

Indeed, smuggling impacts local tobacco farmers and organized players such as ITC and Godfrey Phillips India. As the smuggled cigarettes do not contain tobacco grown in India, they are a lost opportunity for farmers. For ITC and Godfrey Phillips India, this poses a challenge in a market where demand is slowing as young consumers are more reluctant to take up smoking.

“It (smuggling) has started to impact demand. In 2010-11, we were producing 330 million kgs of tobacco for cigarettes every year. Now, it has come down to 270 million kgs,” says Murali Babu, general secretary, Federation of All India Farmers Associations (FAIFA). “Thirty billion sticks means 25 million kgs of tobacco production. That is what we are losing out on. In terms of business, it is almost ₹5,000-6,000 crore.”

There is another advantage that smuggled cigarettes enjoy over legal ones: “Since Esse is smuggled in, it is also not obliged to have gory pictorial warnings on the packet, which became mandatory in India in 2010. Introduced to spread awareness on the ill-effects of smoking, all locally produced cigarettes need to have health warnings covering 85% of the pack. Esse Lights only sports a warning in small font without any photograph, and thus has a cleaner, more premium appearance. This is one of the reasons for its popularity with young smokers, as also women.

“To the naive smoker, it also gives the impression that it’s less harmful than the others,” says P. C. Jha, former chairman, CBIC.”

The article goes on to talk about the history of Esse’s Korean owners and how India has become a meaningful market for them despite the Indian market being officially closed for foreign tobacco companies.

If you want to read our other published material, please visit https://marcellus.in/blog/

Note: The above material is neither investment research, nor financial advice. Marcellus does not seek payment for or business from this publication in any shape or form. The information provided is intended for educational purposes only. Marcellus Investment Managers is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and is also an FME (Non-Retail) with the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) as a provider of Portfolio Management Services. Additionally, Marcellus is also registered with US Securities and Exchange Commission (“US SEC”) as an Investment Advisor.

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The Curious Case of the Light Cigarette

What happens when consumers take things for granted?

Stine Grodal, assistant professor of strategy and innovation at BU’s Questrom School of Business, studied the evolution of light cigarettes. Photo by Michael D. Spencer

Barbara Moran

In the mid-1960s, a new type of cigarette appeared in America. Manufacturers called them “lights,” and advertised that more sophisticated filters, highly porous paper, and new tobacco blends reduced the tar and nicotine that smokers inhaled. The “lights” were the tobacco companies’ answer to public concern about the link between smoking and lung cancer. They pitched their new product to health-conscious smokers and printed test results—total milligrams of tar and nicotine—right on the pack. The light cigarettes were a hit, with sales surpassing regular cigarettes in the early 1980s.

But a funny thing happened over those decades. While smokers may have craved a healthier cigarette, they also craved full flavor and a strong nicotine “kick,” says Stine Grodal , an assistant professor of strategy and innovation at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business , who published an empirical study of light cigarettes in the journal American Sociological Review in February 2015. Over time, she says, many consumers stopped scrutinizing the tiny print on the packages, assuming that light cigarettes were healthier than “full” cigarettes and choosing the brand with the best flavor and kick. To compete for customers, manufacturers slowly pushed the amount of tar and nicotine in light cigarettes upward, with average tar increasing seven percent between 1964 and 1993, and nicotine increasing 74 percent. How did the tobacco industry get away with it? The answer, says Grodal, lies in a curious sociological phenomenon called “taken-for-grantedness.”

Taken-for-grantedness is just what it sounds like: the idea that, over time, many ideas go from outrageous to ordinary. When scientists first began to patent genetically modified organisms, for example, the public reacted with concern and dismay. “Then, over time, patenting just became a thing that you did if you were a scientist,” she says. “If you wanted to have a career in science, you would both publish and patent. It became a part of the way you showed your status, and it was not contested at all. It became taken for granted.”

While taken-for-grantedness is a common area of research in institutional theory—the study of how institutions, concepts, and meaning evolve over time—scientists haven’t used it much to examine business strategy. Grodal and her co-author, Greta Hsu of the University of California, Davis, decided to try that tactic after Grodal read Allan Brandt’s book The Cigarette Century and learned about the enormous data available on the cigarette industry. “It’s very difficult to know what goes on inside businesses because the documents are secret,” she says. “But here was a case in which a lot of the internal documents had been revealed through the lawsuits, so we could have insight on how businesses function that we normally don’t have.”

To make sense of the industry documents, Grodal and Hsu had to first understand when American consumers started assuming that light cigarettes were healthier than regular cigarettes and stopped squinting at the fine print on the packs. To do this, they looked for references to light cigarettes in four major media outlets: the New York Times , Los Angeles Times , the Washington Post , and the Wall Street Journal . Over time, as the public became more familiar with light cigarettes, journalists described the cigarettes’ features less often and less explicitly. Grodal says that this declining description serves as a good proxy for taken-for-grantedness, because it reflects the public’s growing understanding and acceptance of light cigarettes. She found that public attention to the light cigarettes’ nicotine content decreased quickly but people paid closer attention to “tar”—an imprecise mixture of particles and chemicals, some of which were carcinogenic.

“People’s attention was very much on tar,” she says. “Tar was the bad thing, they thought. However, the cigarette producers were more concerned about nicotine, because they knew people smoked because of nicotine.”

According to internal documents unearthed by Grodal and Hsu, the cigarette companies recognized these consumer trends and used them to their advantage, raising nicotine levels in their light cigarettes to give them more kick and, to a much lesser extent, raising levels of tar to give them more flavor. Because the “light” label wasn’t regulated, they got away with it.

“They could create whatever and call it ‘light,’” says Grodal. “It was all based on ‘Does the consumer accept this as ‘light?’ There was a blurring of that boundary. Some ‘full’ cigarettes had lower tar and nicotine than some that were labeled ‘light.’” This is no longer the case: in 2010, a law went into effect banning tobacco manufacturers from labeling cigarettes as “light,” “low,” or “mild.”

What does taken-for-grantedness mean for consumers today? While some product labels, like “very low sodium” or “cholesterol-free” are tightly regulated by the FDA , other terms and labels like “healthy” or “natural” are more vague. The take-home message, says Grodal, is to “put on your skeptical hat sometimes, not just with the shopping cart but also in other decisions.”

“We make a lot of choices based on people’s claims, whether it’s a service or a product,” she says. “Sometimes it just pays to be a little more aware, to stop and think, ‘what do they mean when they say that?’”

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Barbara Moran is a science writer in Brookline, Mass. Profile

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How Esse cigarettes are smoking rivals

• Smuggled cigarettes made by South Korea’s KT&G account for a significant share of the Indian market

New Delhi: Sometime during the first few days of the covid pandemic-induced lockdown in March 2020, Vaibhav Gurang, who works for an advertising agency in Gurugram, had his first taste of Esse Lights, a brand of slim cigarettes made by KT&G, a South Korean company.

As the supply chain was disrupted and shops shut, Gurang’s friendly neighbourhood shopkeeper could only provide him with two packets of Marlboro Lights, his preferred brand, but sold him a carton of Esse as a backup.

Gurang exhausted the Marlboros in the first week, and as the lockdown extended, began smoking the Esses. Since then, he has been hooked. The brand’s premium packaging and claim of low smell and tar content added to its appeal. “I was not a big fan of slim cigarettes but started smoking them out of compulsion. They cost less and have significantly less bad odour. Since I got used to Esse, I have not missed Classic or Marlboro," he says.

What Gurang and possibly his trusted supplier do not know is that the cigarettes are smuggled into the country through sometimes brazen and, other times, highly sophisticated methods. Earlier this month, for instance, a team from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence’s (DRI) Mumbai zonal unit intercepted shipping containers at Navi Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port port in Nava Sheva. They were arriving from Dubai’s Port of Jebel Ali, and supposed to contain Chinese viscose-woven carpets. Instead, the team found one of the containers was stuffed with 6.72 million Esse Change cigarettes, worth ₹ 10.08 crore. The other container had 325 rolls of old, used carpets as cover cargo to hoodwink customs officials.

In a similar case last month, another team from the DRI held a 40ft refrigerated container that arrived at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port at one of the Container Freight Stations (CFS). Upon examination they stumbled upon cigarette cartons ingeniously concealed within cardboard boxes containing tamarind. The cartons had been placed inside the boxes and covered on all sides with tamarind so as to render the cigarette cartons indiscernible even upon opening the boxes. The smuggled cargo comprised 3.39 million cigarettes worth approximately ₹ 5.77 crore. The Esse brand again comprised a significant portion of the haul.

According to industry estimates, around 120 billion sticks are consumed in India every year and the share of smuggled cigarettes has grown to a fifth of this market, at roughly 30 billion sticks, up from 11.1 billion in 2004 (see graphic). As per a Ficci Cascade (committee against smuggling and counterfeiting activities destroying the economy) report, the market for illicit tobacco products in India in 2019-20 was valued at ₹ 22,930 crore.

Esse is believed to have cornered at least 25-28% of this smuggled pie. Which means that while it can’t officially operate in India, it has managed to garner a reasonable share of India’s overall cigarette market. Inadvertently perhaps, India also accounts for a sizeable share of Esse’s near 50 billion sticks per annum overseas sales.

“It (Esse) is without doubt the most popular smuggled brand. Almost every seizure has a sizeable proportion of the Esse brand," says a DRI official. “I doubt if they would have done well if India allowed FDI in this sector. Through the legal route they wouldn’t be able to undercut competitors like this."

Besides Esse, some of the other brands that are widely smuggled into India are Gudang Garam, Paris, Peacock, Dunhill, Mond, Win, Ruili River and Djarum.

Tax revenue lost

Rightly considered a sin product, cigarettes attract an overall tax of around 52%, which makes them lucrative for smuggling. The government loses revenue on every smuggled cigarette—the Ficci Cascade report estimated the loss of tax revenue to the government at ₹ 13,331 crore in 2019-20.

This has not gone unnoticed by the government. “...smuggled cigarettes … are coming in which we are not able to detect successfully," said finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the investiture ceremony of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in Guwahati on 21 July last year. “These smuggled cigarettes are all around us in major cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai, where policing should not be a problem."

Evasion of the tax net explains Esse’s low price. One stick of smuggled Esse Lights costs ₹ 10, while a like-for-like slim Classic Connect stick, manufactured by Indian conglomerate ITC Ltd, costs ₹ 15 because of the tax component. A pack of 20 cigarettes of the Esse brand in Delhi is available for ₹ 180, against ₹ 340 for a pack of ITC’s Classic Milds—India’s bestselling cigarette. It’s a gap that ITC, despite its humongous 75% market share, cannot bridge.

“The mushrooming of illicit and smuggled products not only causes a significant revenue loss to the government exchequer but exports jobs from the country across the entire value chain, which includes impacting the livelihoods of Indian tobacco farmers as inputs used in smuggled cigarettes are not indigenous," says Anil Rajput, president, corporate affairs and member, corporate management committee, ITC Ltd.

Indeed, smuggling impacts local tobacco farmers and organized players such as ITC and Godfrey Phillips India. As the smuggled cigarettes do not contain tobacco grown in India, they are a lost opportunity for farmers. For ITC and Godfrey Phillips India, this poses a challenge in a market where demand is slowing as young consumers are more reluctant to take up smoking.

“It (smuggling) has started to impact demand. In 2010-11, we were producing 330 million kgs of tobacco for cigarettes every year. Now, it has come down to 270 million kgs," says Murali Babu, general secretary, Federation of All India Farmers Associations (FAIFA). “Thirty billion sticks means 25 million kgs of tobacco production. That is what we are losing out on. In terms of business, it is almost ₹ 5,000-6,000 crore."

Godfrey Phillips India declined to comment when Mint reached out. Emails sent to Esse in South Korea remain unanswered.

Since Esse is smuggled in, it is also not obliged to have gory pictorial warnings on the packet, which became mandatory in India in 2010. Introduced to spread awareness on the ill-effects of smoking, all locally produced cigarettes need to have health warnings covering 85% of the pack. Esse Lights only sports a warning in small font without any photograph, and thus has a cleaner, more premium appearance. This is one of the reasons for its popularity with young smokers, as also women.

“To the naive smoker, it also gives the impression that it’s less harmful than the others," says P. C. Jha, former chairman, CBIC.

South Korean giant

Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation, the manufacturer of Esse as it was known earlier, is a product of the monopolistic strategy Korea adopted in its domestic tobacco industry from the late 19th century. In 1899, the Korean government formed the Ginseng Division to regulate the industry and generate tax revenue. Tobacco was identified as a key sector for the local industry, so FDI was banned and imports were discouraged.

The growth of the industry led to the formation of the Office of Monopoly (OOM) in 1952. The policy not only survived but also intensified during the Korean War of 1950-1953. After World War II ended in 1945, Korea, which had been occupied by the Japanese from 1910, was divided along the 38th parallel. This lasted until 1950, when hostilities broke out between the Soviet Union-backed North and US-backed South. Eventually, with the South making small territorial gains, an armistice was signed in 1953 and the Military Demarcation Line has since marked the border between the two countries.

For the next three decades, the OOM focused on the domestic market, which was booming. By 1980, South Korea had the highest rates of adult male smoking, at 79.3%, and by 1987, its tobacco market was the 12th largest in the world, producing 81 billion sticks and consuming 85-87 billion sticks annually. For context, India, with a population almost 30 times that of Korea, consumes an estimated 120 billion sticks annually today, nearly four decades later.

In the late 1980s, under pressure from the US to liberalize, South Korea gradually began to relax norms for the entry of foreign players in the domestic market. This coincided with a general fall in consumption of cigarettes, as, like people in other high-income economies, Koreans became more health conscious from the 1990s. To brace for the competition, the government monopoly became a public corporation in April 1987, and Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation was formed.

From the outset, the strategy was more outward looking and the focus was on exports. This prompted the company to change tack and focus on the external market in the mid 1990s. In 1999, it was privatized and listed on the South Korean stock market, and by the mid-2000s, it began to expand its overseas business further by building manufacturing facilities, establishing strategic partnerships and acquiring companies. In December 2002, it adopted a new name (KT&G), logo and corporate identity.

Today, KT&G is a $4.4 billion diversified group with a presence in various sectors, including tea, food, real estate, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Tobacco, however, remains its mainstay, accounting for over 60% of sales. In 2022, KT&G sold 41.1 billion sticks in the domestic market, commanding a 65.4% share.

Thanks to its relentless overseas strategy over the last 15 years, the company sells more cigarettes outside Korea than within. In 2022, it shipped or sold 49.4 billion sticks to 126 counties around the globe. It currently has four cigarette factories outside South Korea—in Russia, Turkey, Indonesia and Kazakhstan, where it started operations only last year. The company has three factories in South Korea.

KT&G has also announced plans to start a second factory in Indonesia and aims to start operations in 2026 as part of its bigger vision of achieving sales of $7.5 billion by 2027 with overseas businesses accounting for half of it.

To achieve that, it cannot possibly ignore India, the world’s second largest cigarette market, three times the size of its home market, but one that is closed to outsiders. However, there are always other means.

Backdoor entry

Cigarettes are among the top items smuggled into the country every year. In 2022-23, the DRI seized 67.9 million sticks of cigarettes worth ₹ 126.15 crore. The previous year, it had seized 72.5 million sticks worth ₹ 92.72 crore. But these seizures are only a fraction of the actual number of cigarettes smuggled into the country.

“The cost differential between legally procured cigarettes and smuggled cigarettes drives the demand," DRI stated in its annual report for 2022-23. “Further, the absence of gory pictorial health warning on the illicit cigarette packets makes it more attractive for the consumer, defeating the legal intent."

Maritime smuggling is only one of the routes through which contraband cigarettes enter the country. The number of cases of seizures are far higher on land as smugglers use India’s porous border with Myanmar in the North-East to get goods in. Almost 83% of cigarette seizures by the DRI are those smuggled through the land route; 13% are via the sea route and 4%, by air. The value of seizures through the sea route is disproportionately high, at 44%, versus 55.5% for the land route, as the cigarette cartons are smuggled in containers.

“Traditionally, cigarettes have enjoyed high demand in India. Given that they are hazardous to health, they have been taxed heavily to control usage and are a major revenue earner for the government. This makes cigarettes very attractive for smuggling as the margins are high," says Najib Shah, former chairman, CBIC. “It is impossible to totally eliminate smuggling. The aim is to make it difficult by putting controls in place and having enhanced intelligence driven enforcement. About 12 million containers reach our ports annually and it is not practical to check all of them," he adds.

Last heard, Gurang had converted his two flat mates in Gurugram to smoking Esse as well. All remain oblivious to the fact that the cigarettes are contraband.

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Essay on Light Cigarettes

Table of Contents

The Complex Reality of Light Cigarettes

Introduction.

In the pursuit of healthier alternatives to traditional cigarettes, light cigarettes emerged as a seemingly promising option. Marketed as a “healthier” and “safer” choice, these cigarettes were introduced to address concerns about the health risks associated with smoking. However, the term “light cigarette” can be misleading. This essay delves into the history, marketing strategies, and health implications of light cigarettes, shedding light on their complex reality.

The Birth of Light Cigarettes

Light cigarettes, also known as low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes, first appeared in the mid-20th century in response to mounting evidence of the harmful health effects of smoking. Manufacturers claimed that these cigarettes provided a milder, less harmful smoking experience, primarily by reducing the levels of tar, nicotine, and other harmful chemicals in the smoke.

Marketing Strategies

• Misleading Labels: Light cigarettes were often labeled as having lower tar and nicotine content, creating an illusion of reduced health risks. Smokers believed they were making a healthier choice, which boosted sales.
• Filter Technology: Manufacturers introduced filters, which were perceived as reducing exposure to harmful substances. However, many studies have shown that filters do not significantly reduce health risks, as smokers compensate by inhaling more deeply or smoking more cigarettes.
• Flavor and Sensation: Light cigarettes often used additives to mimic the taste and sensation of regular cigarettes, making them more appealing to consumers who were trying to quit or reduce their smoking.

Health Implications

• False Perception of Safety: One of the most significant drawbacks of light cigarettes is that they foster a false sense of safety. Smokers tend to believe that by choosing light cigarettes, they are avoiding the health risks associated with regular cigarettes. This misconception can lead to reduced motivation to quit or cut down on smoking.
• Compensation Behavior: Smokers of light cigarettes tend to engage in compensation behavior, such as inhaling more deeply or smoking more cigarettes, to maintain their desired level of nicotine intake. As a result, the health benefits of smoking light cigarettes are often negated.
• Health Risks Persist: Research has shown that light cigarettes are not significantly less harmful than regular cigarettes. Smokers of light cigarettes can still develop various smoking-related diseases, including lung cancer , heart disease, and respiratory disorders.

Regulations and Warnings

In response to the deceptive marketing of light cigarettes and their health implications, governments and health organizations have implemented regulations and warnings. These measures include:

• Labeling: Cigarette packaging is required to include warnings about the health risks of smoking, regardless of whether the cigarettes are marketed as light or regular.
• Tar and Nicotine Reporting: Some countries mandate that manufacturers report tar and nicotine levels in cigarettes, allowing consumers to make more informed choices.
• Advertising Restrictions: Regulations limit the use of terms like “light” and “mild” in cigarette advertising, as they can be misleading.

The concept of light cigarettes emerged as a well-intentioned response to concerns about the health risks of smoking. However, the reality is far more complex. Light cigarettes have not proven to be a safer alternative to regular cigarettes, as they often lead to false perceptions of safety and compensation behaviors. As public awareness grows, and regulatory measures become more stringent, it is essential for individuals to understand the risks associated with smoking, irrespective of the type of cigarette they choose. Ultimately, the most effective way to reduce health risks related to smoking is to quit altogether or seek healthier alternatives, rather than relying on the misleading promise of light cigarettes.

Read More :  Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Selling Cigarettes

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Europe countries always distinguish by their amazing quality products, be it food items or tobacco ones. All the innovations basically come from these places. Esse Lights cigarette is not an exception. The smoking product of a reputed tobacco enterprise Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corp finds a ready market. In the East this company has already in the hearts of smokers and became famous at home tobacco market. Recently it came at the international one and conquered it by its top-quality tobacco at once. Esse Lights Cigarettes – Eastern Quality Esse Lights cigarettes sales are so high and can be compared with such outstanding smoking brands as Glamour, Karelia, Kiss. Its tobacco is notable for its peculiar taste and delightful aroma. The cocktail of these features allows you to deepen into eastern culture and to understand the genuine and inexpressible enjoyment and pleasure of Esse Lights Cigarettes . Due to them you will be able to perceive eastern thrill which differs these cigarette product from the rest. The fact that Esse tobacco brand is composed of slim-sized cigarettes; it is highly appreciated by cig users, properly by ladies. They will certainly evaluate a good choice of Esse Lights cigarettes. It can be found in our online tobacco products discount center at affordable price. Esse Lights cigarettes are characterized by a low level of tar and nicotine volume. That's why ladies give their predilection towards Esse brand. Esse  Lights– For Those Who Are Good Judges of the East.

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Esse Light - Pack of 2

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Length 100mm Tar/Nicotine Tar 3.5mg / Nic. 0.4mg Pack Type Hard Pack Filter Acetate Filter

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