Ciggyfree Blog

Sales of cigarillos in candy flavours like raspberry and mint chocolate are up 300% in Canada. Anti-smoking groups fear their popularity could fuel a kid-friendly smoking revival.

Cigarillos are cigarette-sized, filtered cigars that come in a variety of enticing flavours and — perhaps most dangerously — can be bought as singles at any corner store where they’re often right next to the candy display. And, according to an ongoing study by the Quebec health ministry, kids are eating them up.

COOL WITH THE KIDS
Smoking’s been on the decline among young people — down around 50% — for a decade. But cigarillos are bucking that trend. According to a 2004 survey of Quebec teens, 18% said they’d tried cigars or cigarillos, up from 13% in 2000.

Chances are you’ve seen cigarillo packaging — small plastic tubes that look a lot like those old horoscope rolls — littering sidewalks and storm drains. Though it’s illegal to sell single cigarettes, cigarillos — because they’re classed as cigars — are exempt. Cynics say the tobacco industry is taking advantage of this loophole to get kids hooked on smoking. Big Tobacco denies. “Regardless of their intent, they are still attracting underage children to their product,” Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society told the Toronto Sun. “There’s no doubt that the tobacco industry on the whole is a declining market. And all new smokers begin in their teens or pre-teens.”