Straw Cigarettes

Straw cigarettes are a common tobacco product from Brazil that features tobacco hand rolled in a corn husk that resembles straw. The use of natural materials and the fact that they are rolled by hand have led some people to believe they are less harmful than cigarettes. Studies, however, have found that straw cigarette smoke causes damage similar to cigarettes.

In recent years, the appeal of straw cigarettes appears to have been extended beyond its traditionally rural audience as young people in urban areas increased their use of the product. Given the importance of packaging as a marketing tool, we assessed the marketing appeals of straw cigarette packaging in Brazil.

We collected unique cigarette and straw cigarette packs from three Brazilian cities - São Paulo, Salvador, and Manaus - in 2013, 2016 and 2019. The results of this work were published in Tobacco Control.

In 2019, we found 27 unique straw cigarette packs compared to just five unique packs in 2013 and 2016 combined. And for the first time in our data collection, we acquired straw cigarette packs in Manaus.

We also found flavored straw cigarettes for the first time, including menthol, coconut, cinnamon, chocolate, and grape. Flavored tobacco products particularly appeal to youth, which could possibly explain the recent rise in use of straw cigarettes among 18–24-year-olds in Brazil.

The increased availability and the addition of flavors combined with the continued inclusion of luxury/quality, classic/timeless and masculine appeals, such as cowboys, men playing guitars and references to auto racing indicate strong branding on straw cigarette packaging. The high prevalence and prominence of masculine appeals on the packs could reinforce traditional gender norms related to the heterosexual white men in Brazil, which might include the adoption of unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking.

These conditions in Brazil reinforce the need to adopt plain and standardized packaging for all tobacco products, which, in conjunction with the implementation of the additive ban, would help to reduce the appeal of tobacco products and prevent initiation among youth.