# Cigarette science **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 9, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026 "2005-05-09T04:59:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Archetype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Archetype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archetype)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/1 "2005-05-09T04:59:43Z")
Is the tobacco in Marlboro Lights and Marlboro Reds identical and the only difference is the filter? This article certainly implies so but doesn’t actually come out and say it. [http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/newsreleasesdetail.jsp?id=10324](http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/newsreleasesdetail.jsp?id=10324) I find it kinda hard to believe, as the taste is significantly different, and I doubt that the micro holes in in the filter makes such a huge difference. Anyone know what the straight dope is? ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/2 "2005-05-09T05:23:25Z")
My semi-educated WAG is that they come from different tobacco because they’re different sub-brands, not because one is Light, and therefore taste differently. The lightness is determined by the filter(as well as menthalation[sp?]) ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/3 "2005-05-09T12:02:49Z")
> [@groman](#): > > My semi-educated WAG is that they come from different tobacco because they’re different sub-brands, not because one is Light, and therefore taste differently. The lightness is determined by the filter(as well as menthalation[sp?]) Except neither has menthol. I’m sure there’s more difference - although whether it actually comes from the tobacco I couldn’t say. I smoke Reds and at very least the tobacco is packed tighter - it’s physically more effort to pull air through them than through lights. The claim that ultralights have as much nicotine as real cigarettes seems bizarre to me; I have a friend who smokes them and have on occasion shared hers; I’ll smoke two or three of them back to back, while with my Reds I have no desire at all to smoke more than one at a time. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/4 "2005-05-09T12:51:58Z")
Try taking the filter off an ultralight and smoke it filterless. It’s just as strong as a red. My red-smoking friends would do this when they bummed my ultralights so they could get their full head rushy goodness with a side order of higher tar. ---
**Author:** ![Archetype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Archetype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archetype)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/5 "2005-05-11T08:45:01Z")
Bump. Surely someone here knows? Anyone here worked for a tobacco company or know someone who does? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/6 "2005-05-11T16:14:13Z")
Difference between a regular and a light? The regular has more licorice flavoring, and the light has more air holes in the filter. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/7 "2005-05-11T23:41:49Z")
I thought Marlboros were flavored with chocolate, and Winstons with coffee, no? ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/8 "2005-05-11T23:49:55Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I thought Marlboros were flavored with chocolate, and Winstons with coffee, no? whoosh? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/9 "2005-05-12T01:11:26Z")
No, no whoosh. Seriously. I read years back that all sort of flavorings are in cigarettes, with different ones favored by different brands. Marlboro using chocolate, and the next big brand (I think Winstons, but I’m not sure) coffee. That’s why different brands taste different - tobacco tastes pretty much like tobacco. Lemme see if I can find a cite… Well, [here’s a list of additives and flavorings in Philip Morris tobaccos](http://tobaccodocuments.org/product_design/948615.html), including > [@](#): > > Ammonia > Anise (Anise Extract and Anise Oil) > Birch (Birch Oil or Birch Tar Oil) > Brown sugar > Chocolate liquor > Cocoa (Chocolate) (Cocoa Shells, Extract, Distillate and Powder) > Composed of nearly 400 identified chemical substances as of 1967 > Cognac (Cognac Oil, White and Green) > Coriander (Coriander Oil, Extract) > Coumarin > Diammonium phosphate > Fructose > glycerin > Honey > Inositol > Licorice (Licorice Fluid Extract, Powder, and Root) > Locust gum (Carob bean gum) > Malic acid > Menthol > Methylvaleric acid (2-Methyl Valeric Acid) > Nitrates > Peppermint (Peppermint Oil) > Phosphates > Polyethylene glycol > “Softeners”, better versus TEG > Pyroglutamic acid > Rum (Rum, Rum Ether, Rum Natural (Non-alcoholic) Extract) > Sherry (Sherry Wine, Concentrate) > Sucrose (Sugar) > Triacetin > Trihydroxy butanoic acid > Urea > Valerian Chocolate \*and \*cocoa. Hmm…Anyone want my urea? ---
**Author:** ![Archetype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Archetype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archetype)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/10 "2005-05-12T08:15:47Z")
> [@Enola Straight](#): > > Difference between a regular and a light? > > The regular has more licorice flavoring, and the light has more air holes in the filter. So what you are saying is that the nicotine and tar in the tobacco itself (not including the filter) is the same but the Lights just have less flavor? Why would the tobacco companies do that though? Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to make the Lights just a flavorful as the regular? ---
**Author:** ![Archetype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Archetype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archetype)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/11 "2005-05-12T08:21:53Z")
Incidently, is the nicotine and/or tar in cigarettes inherent in the tobacco leaves or is it added in? ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/12 "2005-05-12T12:03:16Z")
> [@Archetype](#): > > So what you are saying is that the nicotine and tar in the tobacco itself (not including the filter) is the same but the Lights just have less flavor? > > Why would the tobacco companies do that though? Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to make the Lights just a flavorful as the regular? I doubt it, as I believe lights sell better than regulars. People don’t seem to want too much flavor in their smokes. > [@Archetype](#): > > Incidently, is the nicotine and/or tar in cigarettes inherent in the tobacco leaves or is it added in? The nicotine is definitely an inherent part of the tobacco plant. It produces it as, I believe, an insecticide. And as far as I know, tar is produced by any plant material that burns. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/13 "2005-05-12T19:45:59Z")
> [@Archetype](#): > > Why would the tobacco companies do that though? Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to make the Lights just a flavorful as the regular? It’s really more about the branding than the taste. Most people who smoke Marlboro Lights probably don’t even know (or remember) what Marlboro Reds taste like. ---
**Author:** ![Antivenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Antivenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antivenin)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-science/303026/14 "2005-05-12T20:33:55Z")
> [@Archetype](#): > > Bump. Surely someone here knows? > > Anyone here worked for a tobacco company or know someone who does? The tobacco in Basic cigarettes is swept up off the floor and rolled. :eek: I worked in tobacco one day as a kid. I had to take bunches of leaves off the truck and place them over the sticks that someone else would tie the leaves on to hang up in the barn to cure. Every one worked in a line. When it was time to break for lunch (which seemed like an eternity) my hands were actually black; and tarry. :mad: I thought I would never get it off.