I came across a pack of Parliament Lights cigarettes, and I couldn’t get enough of how the filters looked. As many may know, they are recessed filters, they don’t come all the way to the end of the cigarette.
My questions are these… does this serve any purpose?
Also, am I getting less filter, or less tobacco? I know as far as lung cancer and other lung problems go, the filter isn’t going to make much difference, but I would like to know exactly what is being given up here.
If you look closely (And parls are still the same as they were a few years ago) you’ll see a ring of microperforations around the paper that juts past the end of the filter. The purpose of this is to bring some outside air into the puff you take. The purpose of this I will leave to greater minds than mine.
No kidding… I never noticed those till right now.
Back in the 70’s people used the cavity to easily measure out a “bump” of cocaine.
Not exactly the purpose I thought it might serve, but a purpose nonetheless.
Thanks.
The perforations of P-Funks are much larger than those you will find on, say, Camel Lights or other full-filtered smokes. I’ve always thought that this was a way to save a few bucks on filter material. Let more fresh air in, and need less filter to qualify as a “light” cigarette.
I’m pretty sure the numerous studies which show that smokers unconsciously cover the perforations when they inhale have not yet been refuted.
I haven’t forgotten about ya, gtzaskar. As it turns out, that peculiar little feature has been at the center of a lot of controversy. Near as I can tell, it was initially marketed by Philip Morris as a “flavor enhancer”. From this interesting site.
At some point, it looks like this was marketed as creating a “healthier smoke” although I’m still digging on this. From the same site as above:
And into the fray leaps no less an authority than Dave Barry;
(I’ll decline to link to this because I believe the source is in violation of copyright.)
So, clear as mud, right? Hopefully this additional info may help the curious dig further.
Let me preface this with I am not a smoker (cept for the rare cigar) so I don’t know the whole phsyics of smoking. But the holes may be so that the Parliments can get a lower nicotine rating. Do a quick search on yahoo for low nicotine (was trying to find a low nicotine cigarette for my brother.) You will see studies where they say the holes are used to bring in more fresh air, so that when they test the nicotine content of an ‘average’ puff with a machine they test lower.
Yeah, DJScherr, among the sites I ran into is a study called The 1999 Massachusetts Benchmark Study. It’s full of interesting scientific terms like “puffing behavior” but aside from that amusement I regret to say that it was somewhat over my head and will take some serious effort to interpret. But it is worth noting that the Mass Dept. of Public Health requires that
The study is apparently sponsored by Brown and Williamson, who are not only a tobacco company but a competitor of Philip Morris, so you know what they say about grains and salts. But it appears that the govt., at least in Massachusetts, has tumbled to the fact that these tips may not perform as advertised under actual working conditions. Here’s a link to a .pdf of the study in question: http://www.bw.com/APPS/PDF/Final_Report_1999_Mass_BenchMark_Study.pdf
Well, quite a bit to poke through… thanks Stol…
as far as a better taste, or cleaner drag… I don’t know, IMHO they taste like crap (compared to other cigs, of course), and give me a headache.
Any updates to this during the last two years?
Bumping threads older than about 6 months is highly frowned upon. The preferred thing to do is start a new thread, with a link back to the old one.
-
I was thinking this would be some kind of question about the “envelope filter” type of guitar effects popularized in the 70’s by funk groups like George Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic (Most just say P-Funk)
-
Parliament cigarettes suck. Turkish Gold for life!
-
In the spirit of “Freedom Fries”, we should snub naughty peacenik Europe by calling Parliaments “Congresses”.
-
Q.E.D., I was unaware that we “highly frowned upon” bumping old threads. Why? Is that a GQ thing, or a whole boards thing?
LC
It’s a whole boards thing, Lucki. Bumping old threads generally leads to much confusion, espeically if a banned member is still featured in the thread.
Parliament Cigarettes: The trach ring connection.
I always smoked the recessed filter brand having been assured that the special feature would reduce the staining of my teeth.
[quote]
What if I want to continue / add to the discussion on a topic that was mentioned in an old thread?
Start a new thread with a link to the old thread. A general guideline for “old” would be a thread older than three months.**
From the SDMB FAQ. I read someplace else that it was even more highly frowned upon than the FAQ would indicate, but I can’t find that thread.
I like to stick my tongue in the butthole.
I only smoke P Funks because they taste good and they are also my fashion statement. i was hoping there was a definite answer to the question since it always comes up with us P Funk smokers, but I guess the debate will prevail.
Sigh . . . .