Why Candy Cigarettes Are Still Legal In America

Despite being banned in numerous countries, candy cigarettes have yet to receive an official ban in the United States. Just like candy wax lips, Chuckles candy, PEZ (which was actually created to curb smoking and overeating), and other old-timey candies that still exist in modern times, this cylinder-shaped treat was popular over the last two centuries, but has mostly fallen out of public demand. Its resemblance to an actual cigarette made candy cigarettes popular with children, and while other countries implemented bans, American candy manufacturers got around the law by simply removing the word "cigarette" from packaging (some brands are now called "candy sticks"), not halting actual candy production.

Candy cigarettes come in an assortment of candy products. There are chocolate rolls and bubble gum sticks, but the most common variety is the white, cylindrical shape that tastes like straight-up chalk and is made entirely of sugar. When candy cigarettes first appeared in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the product was designed to mimic the real thing, from its brightly decorated packaging to its artificial white-and-orange "cigarette" wrapping, and sold alongside real cigarettes. The candy brand names even mirrored real tobacco companies with names like "Cemal" and "Pell Mell." Candy cigarettes were sold this way until 2009, when packaging designs changed to remove the word "cigarette," allowing it to meet new mandates under the Tobacco Control Act.

In recent years, the campaign to end tobacco smoking has targeted younger generations, and the federal government has enacted legislation to ban flavored e-cigarettes, but a hundred years ago, this wasn't nearly as prevalent. Studies have found that children who pretend-smoked candy cigarettes were more likely to smoke real cigarettes as an adult, with 88% of both current and former smokers reporting having used candy cigarettes in the past. A few boxes of the old candy cigarettes even encouraged children that buying a box would allow them to be "just like dad."

American politicians have made multiple attempts throughout the years to eliminate candy smokes. In the 1960s, North Dakota passed a candy cigarette ban, though it was quickly repealed. Pennsylvania Rep. Fred B. Rooney attempted to pass the Candy Cigarette Act in 1970, but it was also unsuccessful. There was also the 1991 tobacco control bill and the Candy Packaged to Resemble Cigarettes Prohibition Act in 2021, but neither ever gained momentum, and candy manufacturers managed to worm out of any trouble. The only act that made a difference in the distribution of candy cigarettes was the Tobacco Control Act of 2009, which removed the word "cigarette" from packaging at last but didn't fully outlaw the candy. You can still see the chalky candies at vintage candy shops today, but it's more of a novelty than a necessity.