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What Is a Cigarette Filter Made Of?

With all of the controversy and health risks associated with smoking, cigarette companies have constantly been trying to make their products safer. The most common innovation to this end is the filter that most cigarettes come with, but just what exactly is a cigarette filter made of?

  1. What the Filter Is Made of

    • Most cigarette filters are made from cellulose acetate, a plastic. The fibers made from this plastic, which are called cellulose acetate tow, are thinner than sewing thread and packed tightly together to form a filter that often resembles cotton.

    The Inner Wrap

    • The paper used to wrap the filter is impervious to outside air in regular cigarettes, and less so in light cigarettes. The more air allowed to mix with the smoke as it passes through the filter, the less impact the tobacco will have on the smoker.

    The Outer Wrap

    • The outer wrap is called tipping paper. This tipping paper is formulated to look like cork, is made to refrain from attaching to the lips of smokers and attaches the filter to the rest of the cigarette.

    Other Components

    • Different companies have used a variety of added filter ingredients over time. Parliament cigarettes, for instance, contain charcoal as an added filtration agent.

    Safety

    • While filters supposedly make cigarettes safer, it's often best to check what is in the filter before smoking. Several ingredients, such as a form of asbestos used in the 1950s, eventually turn out to be more harmful than smoking an unfiltered cigarette could ever be.

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