Tag: tobacco

The Possible Advantages of Square Cigarettes [focus-group report, 1999]

Martin Gardiner

What might be the advantages of “square” cigarettes? In 1999, the US tobacco company R.J Reynolds employed the Opinion and Marketing Research firm Delta Research to investigate. Participants of two “Consumer Idea Generation” (CIG) focus groups from Indianapolis were paid $35 each (plus dinner) to list (amongst other things) possible advantages of “Square” cigarettes. The findings : […]

Cigarettes That Are Visually Offputting (research study)

Martin Gardiner

A number of countries have passed laws which require cigarette manufacturers to show ‘denormalising’ images on their packaging. To take things a step further, why not make the cigarettes themselves more unappealing? This was the question tackled by a joint Australian – New Zealand research team in 2015. A set of potentially unpleasant cigarette designs […]

Tobacco Pipes as Dry Powder Asthma Inhalers – a feasibility study

Martin Gardiner

In the absence of a purpose-made dry powder inhaler device (e.g. Spinhaler®) could asthma sufferers use a pipe? Researchers Tan Suwandecha, Kirksak Assawadarakorn and Teerapol Srichana of the Drug Delivery System Excellence Center and Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand, undertook a study in 2012 to assess the […]

USB cigarettes (pay-as-you-smoke) patent

Martin Gardiner

Phillip Morris International (PMI) has received (Oct. 7th 2014) its US patent for an ‘Electrically Heated Smoking System’ Unlike many currently available ‘vape’ sticks, the new device can heat actual tobacco rather than evaporating a nicotine-based liquid. And, unusually for a cigarette, it can ‘communicate’ with a host computer/ tablet etc via a USB plug. […]