Premier- The "Smokeless" Cigarette
Posted: January 22nd, 2008, 9:12 pmAs I mentioned in another thread, years ago I got my hands on a new type of cigarette that R J Reynolds was about to test market. This area of the country wasn't one of those markets, yet their employees received samples of most new products. I was able to get these from a relative.
The claim was made that the "Premier" cigarettes were cleaner and had less harmful byproducts than a regular cigarette, particularly in second hand smoke, as there was less of it.
The literature states that the tobacco was not burned, but heated, "substantially reducing many of the controversial compounds" in the smoke. While we can't, with our limited resources, test these claims, we can dissect some smokes and see what's inside.
I'm sure the packaging was in much better shape in 1988.
Here is a link to a higher rez photo of what's below, in case you want to read the text inside the lid.
Higher Resolution Photo
There was also a lighter that came in this presentation package but it long ago wandered away from the box.
At first glance you can see there is a difference between these and normal cigs. The filter paper seems to extend halfway down the cigarette, and there is a black cylinder stuck in the end of it.
Here I've made the initial incision in our dissection.
Here I've pulled the insides out of the smoke to better view the mechanisms used to deliver nicotine.
It is my understanding that the cigarette is lit by applying flame to this black end with the holes in it (which we saw poking out the far end of the cigarette).
I suppose when inhaled, the flames entered the shiny metal chamber and either ignited these nodules or caused them to smolder, which in turn would heat the chamber, causing the tobacco to smoke.
All I remember about smoking these is that to me, a heavy smoker at the time, I was left unsatisfied. IIRC, one needed to inhale harder than one would with normal cigarettes.
The claim was made that the "Premier" cigarettes were cleaner and had less harmful byproducts than a regular cigarette, particularly in second hand smoke, as there was less of it.
The literature states that the tobacco was not burned, but heated, "substantially reducing many of the controversial compounds" in the smoke. While we can't, with our limited resources, test these claims, we can dissect some smokes and see what's inside.
I'm sure the packaging was in much better shape in 1988.
Here is a link to a higher rez photo of what's below, in case you want to read the text inside the lid.
Higher Resolution Photo
There was also a lighter that came in this presentation package but it long ago wandered away from the box.
At first glance you can see there is a difference between these and normal cigs. The filter paper seems to extend halfway down the cigarette, and there is a black cylinder stuck in the end of it.
Here I've made the initial incision in our dissection.
Here I've pulled the insides out of the smoke to better view the mechanisms used to deliver nicotine.
It is my understanding that the cigarette is lit by applying flame to this black end with the holes in it (which we saw poking out the far end of the cigarette).
I suppose when inhaled, the flames entered the shiny metal chamber and either ignited these nodules or caused them to smolder, which in turn would heat the chamber, causing the tobacco to smoke.
All I remember about smoking these is that to me, a heavy smoker at the time, I was left unsatisfied. IIRC, one needed to inhale harder than one would with normal cigarettes.
