Flavored tobacco is banned statewide in California but big tobacco is already coming up with clever ways to circumvent the new law and continue to appeal to their loyal menthol cigarette smokers.
In recent months, The R.J. Reynolds Company—the second largest tobacco conglomerate in the country—rolled out at least three new alternatives to menthol cigarettes under their Newport and Camel brands.
From a design and marketing standpoint, these new non-menthol cigarettes look almost indistinguishable from the menthol versions that California residents voted to ban last year.
But underneath the green packaging and deceptive marketing, in most cases, are a pack of 20 cigarettes that taste more like regular cigs rather than the mint flavor associated with menthol.
One exception is Camel’s new line of “non-menthol” Camel Crush cigarettes. They come in black, green, and blue box almost identical to their menthol version. And the cigarettes inside feature a tiny blue “capsule” in the filter. When “crushed,” the capsule releases an oily, sweet-smelling substance into the filter that’s similar to menthol. Each puff gives you a slightly sweet drag that gives off candy notes.