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Less Harmful?

NDC_Team
Mayo Clinic
4 8 266

Many times in talking with people about smoking cessation, I get asked questions about American Spirit
cigarettes. American Spirit has claimed on its packaging that is “made with organic tobacco”, “100%
additive free”, and “100% U.S. grown tobacco”, which can lead many people to believe that these
cigarettes are less harmful than other cigarettes. The truth is that American spirit cigarettes may be
more addictive than other brands of cigarettes and they do not have less harmful toxins than other
cigarettes. Researchers analyzed 13 varieties of NAS for a range of tobacco- and combustion-derived
constituents. The nicotine in smoke of Natural American Spirit cigarettes averaged 3.3(±0.7)
mg/cigarette, compared to 2.4(±0.4) in other brands.  And the levels of volatile toxicants were generally
similar to, or higher than those found in other commercial US cigarettes (1). American Spirit cigarettes
generally have more tobacco filler, and, as a result, produce a higher number of puffs — which could
expose a person to more tobacco chemicals per cigarette than other brands. American Spirit launched a
new campaign which depicts their ingredients as “tobacco and water”. If you notice the warning label in
small print on the ad, it still says, “Natural American Spirit cigarettes are not safer than other cigarettes”.
It is amazing what big tobacco companies will say to keep people hooked on tobacco!

Molly Leis

NDC Counselor/CTTS

1. Comprehensive Chemical Characterization of Natural American Spirit Cigarettes. Jain, et
al.  Tobacco Regulatory Science, Volume 5, Number 4, July 2019, pp. 381-399(19)

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About the Author
The Nicotine Dependence Center at Mayo Clinic has been home to physicians, nurse practitioners, Master’s / PhD level counselors, trained TTS’, and amazing office staff for a total of 30 years, all working together to treat individuals who struggle with tobacco use. Counselors meet with an individual to develop their own personalized plan, discuss coping strategies, and provide ongoing support along the journey towards a tobacco-free life. As part of the process, counselors work with physicians and nurse practitioners to provide nicotine replacements and other medications for smoking cessation as needed. We are happy to be involved with the EX Community and we hope our experiences and expertise can help in your journey towards a tobacco-free life. View the link in our signature to see our individual Biographies.