The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: Asian herbal cigarettes are being produced by Asian tobacco companies and claim to reduce harm, but little is known about these products. Transnational tobacco companies (TTC) are also interested in developing reduced harm products and competing for the large Asian smoker market.

Methods: We conducted a content analysis of international tobacco news articles published between January 1999 and June 2005 through www.tobacco.org.and www.tobaccochina.com. We also searched the transnational tobacco industry documents between July 2003 and June 2005 with keywords “herbal cigarette,” brand names, and herbs.

Results: We identified 23 brands of Asian herbal cigarettes produced between 1959 and 2004, 18 which were produced after 1996. We found 15 brands made in China, 6 in South Korea, and 1 each in Taiwan and Thailand. Health claims include 12 brands that relieve respiratory symptoms, 10 that reduce toxic substances like carcinogens or tar, 4 that protect internal organs, and 3 that boost immunity. Four brands, which contain herbs only, were advertised as cigarette substitutes or cessation aids. The TTCs did not pursue development in the 1980s due to unacceptable product quality, but in 2000 wanted to further their reduced harm efforts in Asia.

Conclusions: Asian herbal cigarettes have experienced a recent developmental surge. The TTCs interest in reduced harm products may affect their future promotion. With Asian herbs being traditionally used for medicinal purposes, these products could either help reduce the burden of disease or sustain the social acceptability of smoking in Asia.

This work was funded in part by NIH grant 1-R01-TW05938.