 | |
| Product type | Cigarette |
|---|---|
| Owner | Reynolds American |
| Produced by | Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1982 |
| Markets | See Markets |
| Website | www |
| Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1 | |
Natural American Spirit, often referred to simply as American Spirit, is an American brand of cigarettes and other tobacco products, currently owned by Reynolds American and manufactured by the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company.
The company was founded in 1982 by Bill Drake, author of The Cultivator's Handbook of Natural Tobacco; Robert Marion, an acupuncture student at the Kototama Institute in Santa Fe; and Chris Webster, a Santa Fe entrepreneur and realtor. Startup investments came from Edward Wikes, a Santa Fe plumber/contractor who took out a loan to support the venture; Robert Wolf, an oil rig roughneck; and Philip Naumburg, an heir to the Elkan Naumburg fortune. [1] In January 2002, the company was acquired by Reynolds American and is now a wholly owned independent subsidiary of Reynolds American, which is in turn owned by British American Tobacco. [2] Japan Tobacco announced in September 2015 that it acquired the right to sell Natural American Spirit products in markets outside the United States. [3]
Natural American Spirit cigarettes have been sold in the United States, Canada, Netherlands, Brazil, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Tunisia, Japan, Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Finland and Denmark. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Natural American Spirit offers various types of select filter cigarettes which are color-coded to denote the nicotine and tar contents, which are altered by using different filters and cigarette paper. [8] American Spirit also has a Perique Blend Filter cigarette, which contains 10% Perique tobacco, and an Organic Filter cigarette, which contains organic tobacco. [8]
Natural American Spirit also offers several "Roll Your Own" tobaccos in tins and pouches.
In the UK, American Spirit rolling tobacco comes in Blue (regular) or Yellow (light).
American Spirit cigarettes are sold in packs of 20. They come as follows: [9] [10]
Natural American Spirit products in the year 2000 were advertised as "100% Additive-Free Tobacco".[ citation needed ]
California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced on March 1, 2010, that his office had secured an agreement with the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company to clearly disclose that its organic tobacco is "no safer or healthier" than other tobacco products. Attorneys general from 32 other states and the District of Columbia signed onto the agreement. [11]
The use of Native American/American Indian imagery by the brand, such as the depiction of an Indigenous person on the package and the use of fake folktales, has been criticized as cultural appropriation and promoting stereotypes. [12] [13] Research found that the use of this imagery led to many smokers, including Indigenous peoples, having the misperception that the brand was owned or operated by a tribe/on tribal land and that it was more "natural" and thus healthier. [14] In response, Robin Sommers, the CEO and majority owner of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, stated that "Native Americans are not a target market for American Spirit", stating that the use of this imagery was due to the company's goal to bring tobacco usage more in line with a perceived "moderation" by Indigenous peoples in the 15th century and that proceeds from sales support Native communities. [13]
Kool is an American brand of menthol cigarette, currently owned and manufactured by ITG Brands LLC, a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco Company. Kool cigarettes sold outside of the United States are manufactured by British American Tobacco.
Parliament is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA in the United States and Philip Morris International outside of the United States.
Pall Mall is a British brand of cigarettes produced by British American Tobacco.
Benson & Hedges is a British brand of cigarettes owned by American conglomerate Altria. Cigarettes under the Benson & Hedges name are manufactured worldwide by different companies such as Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, Philip Morris USA, British American Tobacco, or Japan Tobacco, depending on the region. In the UK, they are registered in Old Bond Street in London, and were manufactured in Lisnafillan, Ballymena, Northern Ireland, before production was moved to Eastern Europe in 2017.
Newport is an American brand of menthol cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The brand was originally named for the seaport of Newport, Rhode Island.
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company is an American tobacco manufacturing company based in Oxford, North Carolina, best known for its production of the premier Natural American Spirit cigarette brand.
Salem is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by ITG Brands, a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco, inside the U.S. and by Japan Tobacco outside the United States.
Tareyton is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
Doral is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
More is an American brand of cigarettes, owned and manufactured by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in the United States, Japan Tobacco in the European Union and PMFTC in the Philippines.
Next is a brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris International. The original acronym for Next was a reference to "nicotine extracted".
Vantage is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
Seven Stars is a brand of cigarettes produced by Japan Tobacco.
Caster was a Japanese brand of cigarettes that was owned and manufactured by Japan Tobacco.
Pianissimo is a Japanese brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Japan Tobacco.
Hope is a brand of cigarette that refers to two unrelated entities; one produced in Japan by Japan Tobacco and the other made in the Philippines by PMFTC, branded as Hope Luxury.
Maverick, is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by ITG Brands, a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco.
True is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned by Reynolds American and manufactured through its subsidiary R.J. Reynolds. The brand was created and formerly owned by the Lorillard Tobacco Company.
Philip Morris is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned by Philip Morris International. Cigarettes are manufactured by the firm worldwide except in the US, where Philip Morris USA produces tobacco products.
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