What Does a Charcoal Filter Do in Cigarettes?

Different manufacturers in the tobacco industry continue to innovate the products they release. They do this to not only adhere to the standards set by different governments around the world but also to satisfy the ever-changing demands of tobacco users.

One of the products that have seen multiple changes in the past few decades is the cigarette. Cigarettes are considered to be the primary product category of the tobacco industry, next to the new players in the field like vaping devices and nicotine pouches. By smoking cigarettes, a smoker can easily attain one’s desired nicotine hits in just a few puffs.

Studies, however, have found that the tobacco smoke from cigarettes causes a wide array of serious illnesses. Hence, cigarette makers find ways to make cigarettes less harmful. This is where charcoal filters enter. To know what charcoal filters can do in cigarettes, continue reading below.

Are Charcoal Filter Cigarettes Better for You

Believe it or not, cigarettes have been around for centuries.

The first cigarettes known to mankind were produced by beggars in Sevilla during the early 16th century. These tobacco products were made from discarded cigar butts that were shredded and rolled in paper scraps. Back then, they were considered cigarillos or small cigars. By the late 18th century, they had gained popularity in other European countries like Italy and Portugal.

During the Napoleonic Wars, French and British troops encountered these humble smokes and coined the term “cigarette” for the said products. From then on, the use of cigarettes spread like wildfire, reaching the United States and other parts of the world.

Over the next decades, cigarette production would undergo significant changes with the introduction of cigarette-making machines. Advancements in tobacco cultivation and processing also led to improvements in cigarette formulation, which makes them easier to inhale. These developments further fueled the growing demand for tobacco products, contributing to the modern era of cigarettes.

Today, modern cigarettes, as we all know, are widely used by millions of smokers worldwide, with an estimated 1.3 billion cigarette users.

These cigarettes are far different from those being sold before the 1930s. Before, cigarettes didn’t have any filters. Hence, you can truly taste pure tobacco every time you smoke one. The only known downside of smoking an unfiltered cigarette back then was that tobacco flakes could enter your mouth every time you puff one.

The first major filtered cigarette was produced in 1931 in the USA. This cigarette is known as Parliament (Brown and Williamson). It was then followed by Viceroy cigarettes in 1936.

As time has passed, different research would reveal the dangers of smoking cigarettes in the long term, especially to your lungs and heart. Cigarette makers would then respond to the studies by producing another set of cigarettes paired with new filters like cellulose acetate filters. 

By the mid-1950s to mid-1960s, more filters were introduced to the market as a way to keep smokers hooked to cigarettes. Cigarette manufacturers then intensified their marketing campaigns, declaring their smokes to be now less harmful as the newly added filters reduce the number of harmful substances that enter one’s body.

Companies heavily promoted these new filtered cigarettes, spending a mind-boggling amount of US$15 million or more just to advertise them to the market.

What makes cigarette manufacturers believe that their new filters will work? One potential reason why cigarette makers believe that their new filters will work is due to the addition of activated charcoal. 

Classic cigarette filters typically come in varying sizes and diameters. The most common type of cigarette filter is the slim cigarette filter, which features a length of 15mm and a diameter of 6mm. It is typically comprised of very tightly pressed cellulose acetate, which is known to reduce the amount of harmful substances from cigarette smoke that enter the body.

These harmful substances include tar, nicotine, lead, arsenic, and hydrocyanic acid.

To further enhance the filtering capability of cigarettes, brands would then incorporate charcoal filters and activated carbon filters into their combustible tobacco products. They often integrated these filters into their cigarettes to effectively prevent as many pollutants as possible from the tobacco smoke.

Through the law of absorption, the activated charcoal allows pollutants to stick to its surface. Independent research conducted in 2018 then revealed that activated carbon filters permit a 40% reduction in the penetration of free radicals compared to conventional cigarette filters. A separate study found that activated carbon filters can significantly reduce one’s exposure to p-benzosemiquinone by up to 50%. It is considered one of the most lethal oxidants in cigarette smoke.

Based on these findings, it’s safe to assume that charcoal filter cigarettes are truly better for you than smoking regular filtered cigarettes. Remember, however, that they still produce tobacco smoke, which contains tons of harmful and cancer-causing substances. Even with charcoal filtration, you are still putting yourself at risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease, and many more.

Charcoal Filter Cigarettes vs Regular

There are plenty of reasons why adult smokers rely on cigarettes. Many people smoke these tobacco products as a way to soothe their senses and mood, even in a short time. They likewise smoke cigarettes as a part of their daily habits, often associating smokes with after-meal routines or before sleep. Some people even smoke cigarettes only when they drink alcoholic drinks.

Here are more reasons why people smoke cigarettes.

Now, the mainstream smoke that comes from cigarettes contains nicotine, which is the key stimulant that makes you and other smokers want to puff them every time you are stressed or in a social setting. Nicotine is also responsible for making cigarettes addictive. Thus, if you want to quit smoking, you may find yourself having difficulties in doing so.

Aside from nicotine, the smoke from cigarettes likewise contains tar, which is the chemical substance that is released by tobacco when burned. It contains most of the cancer-causing or carcinogenic and other harmful chemicals known in the medical field. As you inhale the tobacco smoke, the tar forms a sticky layer in your lungs, damaging your respiratory system and potentially causing lung cancer, emphysema, and other lung problems.

Other harmful substances you can find in cigarette smoke include formaldehyde, acrolein, lead, benzene, carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitrosamines, arsenic, and hydrogen cyanide.

Given the amount of disease-causing substances and chemicals you can get from inhaling tobacco smoke, it’s important that you know the type of cigarettes you are buying and using, especially if you intend to smoke continuously. Keep in mind that smoking cigarettes can be harmful to your body as proven by a lot of medical and scientific studies, which is why it is your sole responsibility to somehow regulate your smoking habit. 

If possible, you may even try to slowly reduce your smoking frequency and start your smoking cessation journey today.

Going back to cigarettes, many types of these combustible tobacco products do exist today. One of them is the charcoal filter cigarettes.

Historically, cigarette brands already produced a wide range of cigarettes that come with charcoal filters. These filters, which take advantage of activated charcoal filters, are considered to be effective in minimizing the gas-vapour phase components found in mainstream cigarette smoke.

Two types of charcoal-filtered cigarettes have existed for years. These designs include dispersing charcoal throughout (Dalmatian style) or concentrating the charcoal within a cavity of (plug style) a cellulose acetate. Now, even though charcoal-filtered cigarettes have become popular in Japan, they have failed to dominate the US market. Even the Canadian market didn’t consider charcoal-filtered cigarettes as a new way of smoking tobacco products.

Despite these facts, charcoal-filtered cigarettes are still considered a slightly less harmful cigarette option because their filters can effectively reduce your exposure to various toxicants. However, further research is necessary to fully comprehend the perceived safety of charcoal-filtered cigarettes.

Another type of cigarette you can find on the market is regular filtered cigarettes. 

Regular filtered cigarettes, which have been dominating the US and Canadian markets, are composed of filters without any additional activated charcoal or carbon. They instead use cellulose acetate, a type of synthetic fibre, as the primary filtration material. Even with this filter material, it can already somehow reduce the amount of tar, nicotine, and particulate matter that enters one’s lungs.

If you then compare the smoking experience between regular filtered cigarettes and charcoal-filtered ones, users would often consider the former to give a standard taste and experience. Smokers of charcoal-filtered cigarettes, alternatively, typically enjoy their smoother, cleaner taste since the added charcoal filtration minimizes certain odours and impurities from tobacco smoke.

In terms of the overall health impact, both regular-filtered cigarettes and charcoal-filtered cigarettes can pose health risks in the long term. Even with the presence of added filtration, both types of cigarettes can still be addictive and can cause harm to your respiratory and other body systems. 

Even light and mild cigarettes, which have been advertised as smokes that give off less tobacco tar and harmful content than regular cigarettes, are still harmful to your health when smoked regularly. 

Charcoal Cigarette Filter Benefits

Plenty of research has already proven how cigarette smoke constituents cause a wide array of illnesses and diseases to the lungs, heart, and other parts of the body. But when it comes to particular types of cigarettes like charcoal-filtered cigarettes, studies about them remain scarce.

Fortunately, a study done in 2018 aims to verify whether charcoal granules in cigarette filters can be effective in filtering free radicals in mainstream smoke or not. Surprisingly, charcoal filtration can indeed remove most gas-phase radicals from the tobacco smoke. It doesn’t, however, remove particular-phase radicals like carbon monoxide from the cigarette mainstream smoke. 

The study then took further steps and identified whether the type of charcoal can affect the effectiveness of filtering tobacco smoke. It confirmed that polymer-derived charcoal, coconut-shell-derived charcoal, and other types of activated charcoal work basically the same way in terms of absorbing gas-phase radicals from tobacco smoke.

Nonetheless, the research only proves that charcoal cigarette filters may be truly more beneficial than regular cigarette filters, even by a small percentage. 

Before knowing more benefits of charcoal cigarette filters, you must first know their composition.

The activated charcoal used in making charcoal cigarette filters is often processed under high temperatures to make it more porous. The increased surface area then makes the material more effective in trapping chemicals and toxins from the tobacco smoke. Additionally, it has a negative electric charge, which helps in attracting the positively charged molecules often found in the smoke.

Some notable benefits of adding charcoal filters in commercial cigarettes are as follows:

• Enhanced toxin filtration: Most cigarettes with activated charcoal filters are expected to effectively absorb the gas phase toxins in mainstream smoke. These toxins include formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, crotonaldehyde, and ammonia.
• Lower exposure to VOCs: Volatile organic compounds or VOCs are often present in cigarette smoke. By using charcoal filters, the cigarettes can somehow absorb some VOCs like isoprene, acrylonitrile, and benzene, making them slightly less harmful than regular filtered cigarettes.
• Improved smoking experience: Activated charcoal has a high specific surface area, making it a great absorbent in cigarettes. When used in a cigarette, the activated carbon is placed between two thin fibre filters. As you puff a charcoal-filtered cigarette, you won’t feel any compromise on flavour or the draw, resulting in a cloud of smooth and flavourful tobacco smoke.

Charcoal filters in cigarettes may somehow enhance the taste and reduce your exposure to toxins and VOCs, but they don’t eliminate the overall dangers of smoking cigarettes. Smoking, regardless of the type of filter used in making cigarettes, remains harmful to your health. The only way to avoid the risks of smoking cigarettes is to entirely quit depending on tobacco products.

Charcoal Filter Cigarettes Brands

The number of brands of charcoal filter cigarettes is starting to rise as more smokers want to lean towards the less harmful side of smoking. Charcoal-filtered cigarettes, after all, can somehow reduce the number of smoke toxicants your body receives every time you puff one. 

Some notable charcoal filter cigarette brands you can find in the market today are as follows:

1. Parliament: Parliament cigarettes are comprised of recessed filters, with some variants including charcoal filtration. The recessed filter, combined with activated charcoal, gives users a distinct smoking experience as these components filter out impurities from the smoke. 
2. Kent: Kent cigarettes are another set of cigarettes with charcoal filtration. The Kent S-Series 1 100S, in particular, is a super slim cigarette that is paired with bamboo charcoal, providing users with a smoking sensation and mellowness that exceeds expectations.
3. Camel: Camel is likewise a brand of cigarette that offers charcoal filtration on their products. Charcoal-filtered cigarettes from Camel are best characterized by their rich, bold tobacco flavours, making them popular outside the US. 
4. Dunhill: Dunhill cigarettes are a premium cigarette brand that integrates charcoal filters in some variants of combustible tobacco products. They provide a smoother and more luxurious smoking experience than others, making them perfect for those looking for a refined experience.
5. Marlboro: Marlboro is an iconic cigarette brand that has likewise added charcoal filter variants to its cigarette lineup, especially in international markets. Marlboro charcoal-filtered cigarettes are recognized for their smooth smoke and signature full-bodied flavour.

Charcoal-filtered cigarettes are made to provide smoother smoke and slightly reduce the presence of some harmful chemicals. These products are particularly popular in markets like Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, where premium or “mild” smoking experiences are sought after by many smokers. 

If you’re looking for cigarettes with charcoal filters in Canada, you should buy one from NativeSmokes4Less today. We offer charcoal cigarettes at NS4L and can ship them wherever you are in the country. They are available at very low prices so you can enjoy smoking without spending too much.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a charcoal filter better for cigarettes?

A charcoal filter might be a better choice for cigarettes as it absorbs more harmful chemicals, such as volatile organic compounds, compared to a regular filtered cigarette. This improvement not only makes the cigarette smoother and less harsh but also enhances the overall smoking experience.

Does charcoal help with cigarette smoke?

Yes, charcoal helps adsorb some harmful substances in cigarette smoke, reducing their overall levels when they enter your body. Charcoal also improves the taste of the smoke by trapping unpleasant odours and impurities. However, it’s important to note that most harmful substances from the smoke still pass through the charcoal filter.

What does charcoal filtering do?

Charcoal filtering uses activated charcoal to capture a variety of chemicals and toxins present in cigarette smoke, effectively purifying it before it is inhaled. Interestingly, this process also enhances the taste of the smoke by eliminating impurities and reducing its harshness.

Summary

A charcoal filter does a lot of good things to cigarettes. It can somehow reduce the number of harmful substances from tobacco smoke that enter your body. It likewise makes the smoking experience better by retaining the intended draw and flavour profile of the cigarette.

Despite these perceived benefits of the charcoal filter, cigarettes remain harmful to your health. The best way to keep yourself healthy is by quitting cigarettes. One thing you can do to slowly quit cigarettes is to switch to an alternative product that is free from tobacco. One of the products you can consume is nicotine pouches. Here are some more products you can use to attain nicotine without relying on tobacco.