# Cigarettes and Gun Powder? UL? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2000, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarettes-and-gun-powder-ul/22701 "2000-06-17T15:32:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarettes-and-gun-powder-ul/22701/1 "2000-06-17T15:32:06Z")
I saw in the paper last night that they are coming out with new “self extinguishing” cigarettes. That is, they will put them selves out if not being actively smoked (hopefully reducing the chances of starting fires). After mentioning this to a friend, and my concern about yet another chemical being added my precious coffin nails, he stated that cigarette papers currently contain gun powder. According to him the many stripes around the tobacco filled part of the cigarette are gun powder laced to keep the cigarette burning. This sounds like a UL to me, but I couldn’t find anything on [http://www.snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com) Anyone know the straight dope? ---
**Author:** ![starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starfish)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarettes-and-gun-powder-ul/22701/2 "2000-06-17T16:18:15Z")
Tell your friend that gun powder burns very fast. If you lit a trail of gun powder it would all burn up before you finished smoking. I have heard that they are treated with nitrates to help the burning, and nitrates are an ingredient in gun powder. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarettes-and-gun-powder-ul/22701/3 "2000-06-17T16:24:46Z")
Someone once told me it was ‘salt peter?’ that kept them burning. I have no idea if that is correct though. ---
**Author:** ![madd1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@madd1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madd1)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarettes-and-gun-powder-ul/22701/4 "2000-06-17T16:45:23Z")
‘Saltpeter’? Really? Mmm, guess smokers do not breed much. However, you couldn’t prove that by looking at all of the cigarette smoking trailer park moms dragging their brats through Winn-Dixie by the hair. Therefore, I don’t think its saltpeter. Unless the effects of saltpeter are a UL as well. Are they? ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarettes-and-gun-powder-ul/22701/5 "2000-06-17T16:56:59Z")
**Cecil Adams** on [Does saltpeter supress male ardor](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_221.html). ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2000, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarettes-and-gun-powder-ul/22701/6 "2000-06-17T17:11:21Z")
Saltpeter is potassium nitrate, so you could both be correct. It might very well be added to promote even burning - a quick check only turns up the info that saltpeter is added to cheap cigars for this reason. In the quantities involved, is undoubtedly far less of a health hazard (or libido supressant) than the tobacco. Black gunpowder is saltpeter, sulphur and charcoal. ---
**Author:** ![Sledman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Sledman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sledman)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2000, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarettes-and-gun-powder-ul/22701/7 "2000-06-19T16:20:38Z")
If nothing else though we need to find out what the little rings are. It’s kind of crazy… I think gunpowder in a trace form embedded in the paper is not completely unreasonable. The point being that if you watch your cigarette burn it does flare up at points with no suction being applied. There is some type of burn enhancer, whether or not it is gun powder may be questionable, but I wouldn’t put it past them. Whatever happened to the exploding cigarette gag??? That was definitely gunpowder. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2000, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarettes-and-gun-powder-ul/22701/8 "2000-06-19T16:33:47Z")
This probably won’t help, but here’s a list of the [599 ingredients](http://www.philipmorrisusa.com/company_&_products/tobacco_ingredients.asp) Philip Morris admits were in their smokey treats in 1994. No saltpeter or potassium nitrate.