A cigarillo (from Spanish cigarrillo 'cigarette'; in turn from cigarro 'cigar' and -illo (diminutive suffix); pronounced [siɣaˈriʝo] in parts of Latin America, [θiɣaˈriʎo] in Spain) is a short, narrow cigar. Unlike cigarettes, cigarillos are wrapped in tobacco leaves or brown, tobacco-based paper. Cigarillos are smaller than regular cigars but usually larger than cigarettes. Cigarillos are usually made without filters, and are meant to be smoked like a cigar and not inhaled (except those made in this form only for specific tax issues).
Generally, a cigarillo contains about three grams of tobacco; the length varies from seven to ten centimetres (3–4 in) and the diameter is about 6–9 mm, usually 8 mm. Comparatively, a cigarette contains less than one gram of tobacco,[4] and is about eight centimetres (3 in) in length and 8 mm in diameter. Most cigarillos are machine-made, which is cheaper than hand-rolling. It is unusual to store them in humidors, partly because they are smoked in large quantities and so have a short shelf-life.
Cheap cigarillos are typically marketed as a brand rather than with the term cigarillo.[citation needed] In the United Kingdom, common consumer brands include Henri Wintermans Signature (formerly Café Creme) and Hamlets.[1] In the rest of Europe, they include Dannemann Moods, Candlelight, Agio Panters and Mehari's, Clubmaster and Handelsgold are popular. In the United States, they include Swisher Sweets, Black & Mild, Backwoods, Dutch Masters, Garcia Y Vega, Game, Optimo, Good Times, and Phillies. Some famous cigar brands, such as Cohiba or Davidoff, also make cigarillos: Cohiba Mini and Davidoff Club Cigarillos.
In Spanish-speaking countries, as well as in the Philippines, cigarrillo means a cigarette. Anglo-Americans were first introduced to 'cigarrillos' on a massive scale during their conquest of New Mexico and California in the American-Mexican War 1846–1848. It was observed that, "Both sexes smoke cigarrillos almost incessantly".[5]
Taxation
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In the United States, cigarillos (and cigars) were taxed at a lower rate than cigarettes. In February 2009 an increase from 5 cents to 40 cents per pack as part of the SCHIP expansion bill set a tax rate similar to that for cigarettes.[7]
Health concerns
editLike other tobacco products, cigarillos are a health risk to those who smoke them.[4] In Brazil, Uruguay, Canada, Australia, India, and throughout Europe they are subject to the same laws which require manufacturers to place a health warning on a portion of each package. Like cigars, cigarillos are not meant to be inhaled. As a result of this, it is often assumed that cigarillos are a healthier alternative to cigarettes,[citation needed] but health authorities around the world still warn smokers of the risk they pose due to smoke being in the mouth.[citation needed]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Scandinavian Tobacco – leading the UK cigar market | Grocery Trader". 8 June 2012.
- ^ "Cigars in the United Kingdom". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
- ^ "Cigars in France". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
- ^ a b "Cigar Smoking and Cancer". National Cancer Institute. 18 August 2005. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
- ^ Johnston; Edwards; Ferguson. Marching With The Army Of The West 1846-1848 p. 164
- ^ "Cigars in Germany". Retrieved 30 May 2015.
- ^ "Health Groups Hail Increase in Federal Tobacco Taxes". National Cancer Institute. 2009-02-10. Archived from the original on 2009-02-17.
- Johnston, Abraham, Robinson; Edwards, Marcellus, Ball; Ferguson, Philip, Gooch. (1936) Marching with the Army of the West 1846-1848. Edited by Ralph P. Bieber. The Arthur H. Clark Company, Glendale, California.