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January 28, 2005 8:55 AM   Subscribe

The Bizarre World of Candy Cigarettes. Profiles of American and Foreign Companies.
posted by greasy_skillet (22 comments total)
 
Ah, candy smokes.

As the child of two smokers, I was a fan of them, as were most of my childhood friends. We especially liked having them in winter when the cold air made it look more like we were actually smoking. I also remember chocolate cigarettes wrapped in paper that looked almost exactly like Marlboros. But to consume them, you had to bite off a bit and them spit the paper out which must hade made us all look rather silly.

I understand trying to eliminate them and the "candy sticks" thing is a definite dodge, but I guess I can't blame a company for trying to stay in business. I'm also kind of amazed that nobody's ever tried to market rock candy in a red-topped vial as "Candy Crack."
posted by jonmc at 9:05 AM on January 28, 2005


I specifically recall purchasing a pack of "Lucky Strike" brand candy cigarettes when I was a kid. I don't think there was an intentional misspelling or anything. In fact, I didn't know Lucky Strike was a real cigarette brand until later... (mmm, Luckies.)
posted by neckro23 at 9:31 AM on January 28, 2005


The non-american companies unapologetically mirror the real tobacco brands--many of which being American "Big Tobacco". A number of the American candy cigarettes resemble real cigarette brands, but are clearly a lot more careful not to get too close.

They've always got something to complain about. If it isn't candy cigarettes, it's flavored tobacco.

I get really sick of all the anti-smoking propaganda. I am, admittedly, a smoker-- It's not because I had candy cigarettes as a kid--never laid my hands on one, ever. It's not because Joe Cool lead me astray. It's not because I don't know the risks. It's because I've made, and continue to make, that choice.

I agree with informing people but I don't agree with telling them what to do with that information. I really think that people's ability to make up their own mind is downplayed, and that itself is an even bigger problem. Give people an excuse, let them say they're not making their own mind. Then offer to protect them. And one by one, you eliminate their need/ability/desire to make up their own mind. Give people an excuse, any excuse, to pass on personal responsibility and they'll take it.
posted by ThePrawn at 9:32 AM on January 28, 2005


What I remember about candy cigs was how gummy they'd get after you had them in your mouth for a few minutes. Gack.
posted by mudpuppie at 9:32 AM on January 28, 2005


They always came in menthol.
posted by caddis at 9:36 AM on January 28, 2005


As someone who is very anti-smoking (and very sensitive to cigarette smoke) I have to admit that I absolutely love candy cigarettes. My grandfather used to buy them for my sisters and for me, and there is no sweeter candy out there. We always enjoyed them because we could pretend we were smoking, even though none of us would even walk near a smoker in real life.

I see why some people would think candy cigarettes are bad, but it seems sort of silly to me. Why deprive us non-smokers of such delicious candy? Yum!
posted by Nematoda at 9:50 AM on January 28, 2005


Mmm, those chalky-but-delicious candy cigarettes. And bubble gum cigars, complete with gold paper rings. And Big League Chew!
posted by amber_dale at 9:50 AM on January 28, 2005


I remember buying the gum ones and they had a lil bit of powder sugar inside of the wrapper. when you blew into the fake cig the sugar would puff out the other end creating a small cloud of smoke just like a real cig.
posted by hpsell at 9:52 AM on January 28, 2005


Mmm, those chalky-but-delicious candy cigarettes. And bubble gum cigars, complete with gold paper rings. And Big League Chew!

Loved all those things. : )
posted by SisterHavana at 9:59 AM on January 28, 2005


I'll never forget a pack of candy cigs I picked up at our corner gas station growing up. They were "Hey Man! Cool!" brand candy cigs and featured a mustachioed cowboy on the pack smoking what looked like a real cig. So chalky. So cool. Must smoke. Must smoke.
posted by mcstayinskool at 10:16 AM on January 28, 2005


Nematoda, my thoughts exactly. Both my parents smoked when I was small, I've always found it disgusting and have never touched a cigarette in my life. I did however try to smoke my dad's (unlit) pipe when I was about seven. It was disgusting. I also used to pretend Tic-Tacs were drugs of some sort. I was a warped child.

Anyway, back on track, I loved candy cigarettes too. Shame you can't find them any more. I was never as keen on the chocolate ones wrapped in cig paper.

Don't think we ever got chewing-gum ones in the UK...?
posted by corvine at 11:24 AM on January 28, 2005


I also used to pretend Tic-Tacs were drugs of some sort. I was a warped child.

Me, too. Wanna break into mom's pantry and snort the confectioner's sugar?
posted by jonmc at 11:33 AM on January 28, 2005


At the other end of the spectrum, did you ever play communion with Necco wafers?
posted by caddis at 12:21 PM on January 28, 2005


caddis-- i did not, but mom & dad both swear that the nuns had them practice communion with necco wafers during the CCD leading up to the big First Communion in the first grade.
posted by crush-onastick at 12:34 PM on January 28, 2005


jonmc - sure. I'll bring the shandy.

(anyone remember Top Deck shandy/lager&lime? it's a wonder I'm as sober as I am)
posted by corvine at 12:49 PM on January 28, 2005


Candy cigarettes were great at my old office. I'd like to slip out once or twice a day during our deadline season to enjoy a clove, and my best friends at the office, who are Mormon, would always sneak out with me and puff away on candy cigarettes.

For some reason this always amused me more than it really should have. Almost as much fun as playing drinking games with them. I'd drink my laphroiag, they'd drink dr. pepper. I'd get drunk. They'd get blood sugar poisoning. Good times, good times.
posted by pandaharma at 1:33 PM on January 28, 2005


Dosen't Dr. Pepper have caffeine? My sister worked in a hevily Mormon area for 2 years and said that the popular beverage was Kool-Aid.

Not that there's anything wrong with Kool-Aid, mind you.
posted by jonmc at 1:46 PM on January 28, 2005


When i was a kid, i never made the connection between Big League Chew and, well, real chew. I was just pumped about the concept of a pouch of shredded gum. It's shredded! You can take as much as you want! I'm not sure I even realized that baseball players chewed tobacco until much later.

Some kids are kind of dopey that way, i guess.

jonmc: according to this, the Pepper does indeed have caffeine.
posted by acid freaking on the kitty at 2:30 PM on January 28, 2005


hpsell: Those must've been the ones I saw once in elementary school. I remember seeing them and thinking, "that's so cool", and wondering where I could get them (even though I've always been disgusted by real cigs, even back then).
posted by May Kasahara at 6:07 PM on January 28, 2005


Its a myth that Mormons can't drink caffeine. Officially only coffee and tea are banned. Unofficially many avoid caffeine but at my old software company most of them would consume caffeine almost as vividly as me.

There's some rule about 'avoiding the appearance of evil' which was why candy cigarettes and other such implements became such an in-joke for us.
posted by pandaharma at 6:54 PM on January 28, 2005


When i was a kid, i never made the connection between Big League Chew and, well, real chew.

By the time Big League Chew came out, I was old enough to make the connection. However, as a pre-teen, when me and my freinds played ball, we'd spit all the time in imitation of our Big League idols without knowing why.
posted by jonmc at 8:30 PM on January 28, 2005


I remembered these from my wasted youth but was sure they wouldn't be sold anymore until the bizarre and short-lived Russian useless-gewgaw shop opened up downtown and started selling them about a year ago. I had to buy a pack, of course.
posted by IshmaelGraves at 6:43 AM on January 30, 2005


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