Natural American Spirit,often referred to simply asAmerican Spirit,is an American brand ofcigarettesand othertobaccoproducts, currently owned byReynolds Americanand manufactured by theSanta Fe Natural Tobacco Company.
 | |
| Product type | Cigarette |
|---|---|
| Owner | Japan Tobacco InternationalandReynolds American |
| Produced by | Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1982 |
| Markets | SeeMarkets |
| Website | www |
| Carcinogenicity:IARC group 1 | |
History
editThe company was founded in 1982 by Bill Drake, author ofThe 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 andrealtor.Startup investments came from Edward Wikes, a Santa Feplumber/contractor who took out a loan to support the venture; Robert Wolf, anoil rigroughneck;and Philip Naumburg, an heir to theElkan Naumburgfortune.[1]In January 2002, the company was acquired byReynolds Americanand is now a wholly owned independent subsidiary of Reynolds American, which is in turn owned byBritish American Tobacco.[2]Japan Tobaccoannounced in September 2015 that it acquired the right to sell Natural American Spirit products in markets outside the United States.[3]
Markets
edit
Natural American Spirit cigarettes have been sold in theUnited States,Canada,Netherlands,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,Austria,Switzerland,Tunisia,Japan,Spain,Italy,France,Greece,FinlandandDenmark.[4][5][6][7]
Products
editNatural 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 aPerique Blend Filter cigarette,which contains 10%Perique tobacco,and anOrganic Filter cigarette,which containsorganictobacco.[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]
- Orange – Smooth Mellow Original Taste
- Yellow – Original Blend Mellow Original Taste
- Blue – Original Blend Full-bodied Taste
- Light Green – Organic Mellow Menthol
- Dark Green – Organic Full-Bodied Menthol
- Gold – Organic Mellow Taste
- Turquoise – Organic Full-Bodied Taste
- Black –PeriqueRich Robust Taste
- Light Blue – Full-Bodied Taste
- Dark Blue – U.S. Grown Premium Full-Bodied Taste
- Tan – U.S. Grown Premium Mellow Taste
- Sky – Smooth Taste,charcoal filter
- Celadon Green – Unique Balanced Taste
- Hunter Green – Full-Bodied Balanced Taste
- Gray – Perique Rich Taste
- Agate (Japan Only) – Rich Sweet Taste
- Brown – Unique Non-Filtered
Controversies
editThe claim of additive-free cigarettes
editNatural American Spirit products in the year 2000 were advertised as "100%Additive-FreeTobacco".[citation needed]
California Attorney GeneralJerry Brownannounced 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]
Use of Native American imagery
editThe 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 ascultural appropriationand 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 ofSanta 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]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"SFNTC - Our Company Tobacco Road".19 February 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 19 February 2015.
- ^"R.J. Reynolds buys Santa Fe Natural".Lakeland Ledger.Raleigh. 23 November 2001.Retrieved27 December2014.
- ^"JT Acquires Natural American Spirit Business outside the United States"(PDF).Jt.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2015-10-10.Retrieved2016-11-14.
- ^"BrandNatural American Spirit - Cigarettes Pedia".cigarettespedia.
- ^"Natural American Spirit".zigsam.at.
- ^"American Spirit".zigsam.at.
- ^"Brands".cigarety.by.
- ^ab"Cigarettes".Natural American Spirit Germany.Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company: Germany GmbH. 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 13 February 2015.Retrieved27 December2014.
- ^"Best Tasting Organic Tobacco Cigarette Brand | Natural American Spirit".
- ^"JT launches Natural American Spirit Agate nationwide in late July 2019 | JT Global Site".
- ^"Brown Secures Agreement with American Spirit Cigarettes Maker over Alleged Misleading Marketing of Organic Tobacco Products".State of California Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General.1 March 2010.Retrieved27 December2014.California Attorney General's Press Release March 01, 2010
- ^D’Silva, Joanne; O’Gara, Erin; Villaluz, Nicole T. (1 July 2018)."Tobacco industry misappropriation of American Indian culture and traditional tobacco".Tobacco Control.27(e1):e57 –e64.doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2017-053950.ISSN0964-4563.PMC6073916.PMID29459389.
- ^ab"Critics Pan Indian Imagery in American Spirit".Santa Fe Reporter.Retrieved2022-05-25.
- ^"Study on Cigarette Packs' Native American Imagery Raises Questions About Safety, Cultural Misappropriation - Newsroom".news.ucmerced.edu.Retrieved2022-05-25.