Flavored tobacco has been prevalent in the smoking industry for many years now. Flavored cigarettes have been banned for offering flavors other than menthol and tobacco, but other various forms of flavored tobacco are still sold to the public. These products are sold in flavors ranging from fruit flavors and candy to herbs and spices.

How Is Tobacco Flavored? 



Everything from cigarettes to dry snuff to chewing tobacco are flavored these days. For cigarettes, the tobacco is mostly flavored by polymer pellet technology, flavor microencapsulation in the paper or packaging technology, flavor inserted into the filter and flavored tips. 

Hookah tobacco is flavored with molasses, fruit pulp and flavors, honey or mint. These flavors sweeten the taste of the tobacco and give a wide range of hookah flavors from which to choose.

Adding flavor to a cigar can be done by storing your cigar with a flavoring pad or already be flavored and presoaked before packaging. Tobacco in a pipe can be flavored by drizzling the flavoring on the tobacco beforehand. 

Why Tobacco Is Flavored 



Tobacco has been used for many years in its natural state and flavor. When flavors were introduced, it was no surprise that the response was positive. 

People are drawn more to choosing sweet flavors instead of the typical harsh smell and taste that tobacco typically provides. It also helps reduce the stigmatizing effect that goes along with using tobacco products. When using a sweet-tasting tobacco product with a flavorful name, it takes away some of the negative connotations that are usually associated with tobacco. 

Flavors mask the initial harsh taste of tobacco, which also makes it easier for young adults to initiate tobacco use. Tobacco products can also be seen as less harmful when flavored than nonflavored because they are enjoyed more easily.

A Look at Frequent Users of Flavored Tobacco Products 



Flavored tobacco products are mainly marketed to people who are younger and are more likely to be enticed by new flavors. Little flavored cigars are often sold in small colorful packages for less than a dollar and are promoted as more cost-efficient as compared to cigarettes. Flavored products are generally the first tobacco product that young adults choose to use. 

Tobacco product manufacturers not only name products after candy flavors, but they use the same chemical ingredients as candy. For example, the same chemicals used in Jolly Rancher, Life Savers and Zotz candies, as well as Kool-Aid products, are used in similarly flavored tobacco products. 

Young adults are shown to have more of a preference to sweeter flavors, and this shows how it's a critical tool in advertising the flavors to younger people. Flavored tobacco is mainly advertised to entice new potential smokers. There are many ways to use flavored tobacco products, such as via cigarettes, vaping, hookah, cigars and pipes. Whatever way the flavored product is used, the goal is to hook new smokers in and produce a more enjoyable experience with tobacco.