What are they smoking these days?

[Lone Wolf]

oh, and 15 seconds of research on the companys own site will tell you that they are are not native owned or affiliated

http://www.sfntc.com/FAQ/Overview.aspx

but hippie/indian wannabes like to think so.

[Lone Wolf]

All the Am. Spir. cigarettes use 100% additive-free whole-leaf tobacco. The Maroon and Gold packs use USDA-certified organic (NOP standard) tobacco.

This tobacco costs a little more than other brands but most people who smoke it would probably agree that Am. Spir. sells a high-quality product, both loose and in cigarettes.

The company has never claimed a direct link to Native Americans. The copy on some of their products mentions the Native American tradition of respectful use of tobacco and suggests using the tobacco in this spirit.

BS. any smoke in your lungs is not good.

[Jack Tarlin]

The "Native American tradition of respectful use of tobacco?"

Please. Spare me the New Age goo-goo stuff.

Some people have evidently watched "Dances With Wolves" too many times. You want "respectful" Native American traditions? Like burning miles of prairie to drive animals? Or how about driving buffalo off a cliff killing hundreds at a time? Or the many Gulf Coast tribes that were cannibals. Yeah, now THAT was respectful. Yet these are all historically documented.

Please. Early Americans smoked tobacco for the same reason later Americans did: It made them feel good and they were addicted to it. Nothing noble about it.

[saimyoji]

so you're sayin' the whole smokin the peace pipe thing is wrong?

[weary]

The method of advertising used by the American Spirit tobacco company is clearly meant to make their cigarettes seem more "wholesome" or good than any other. Sure, additive free is better than other cigarettes, but smoking American Spirits versus menthol Camels is not like eating organic v. non organic cabbage.

I'm reluctant to disillusion you young people, but there is little perceptible difference between eating organic and non organic cabbage. The two are pretty much the same, healthwise -- assuming one doesn't eat non organic cabbage in very great quantities very often.

Organics have some minor health advantages. But most of the requirements for an organic designation are based on unfounded beliefs, not necessarily facts. Or at least, not on any "facts" that have struck me as likely to have been true.

Weary

[Jack Tarlin]

Good point, Weary.

I also suspect that smoking is better for you than is cabbage, but let's not go there.

In retrospect, I had a Ukrainian grandmother who used to force feed us cabbage and borscht (after 40 years beets still scare me).

And I chain smoked filterless Camels for two decades.

I miss the cigarettes a hell of a lot more than the cabbage.

[kayak karl]

...and congrats to those who quit!

and those that never started

[mudhead]

and those that never started

Those are the smart ones.

[Doooglas]

And besides, you'd think that smoking on trail would make it harder on your lungs, and therefor harder to hike.

It depends on the individual. I used to smoke about a pack a day but bicycled 10 miles a day and ran 3 miles, 3 times a week.
My dad is 82 and still smokes but when he comes down here he can handle the trails better than many of the Butterball Brand 30 year old burger chompers that show up here.He walks up and down the beach for a few hours every day.
Fit is fit.
Many, many soldiers smoke and those guys tote immense amounts of weight around all day and also have to do the annual fitness test which would even kill most high school football jocks.

[ShelterLeopard]

I'm reluctant to disillusion you young people, but there is little perceptible difference between eating organic and non organic cabbage. The two are pretty much the same, healthwise -- assuming one doesn't eat non organic cabbage in very great quantities very often.

Organics have some minor health advantages. But most of the requirements for an organic designation are based on unfounded beliefs, not necessarily facts. Or at least, not on any "facts" that have struck me as likely to have been true.

Weary

I actually usually do eat a large amount of cabbage- Russian! My Russian granmother (like Jack's Ukranian grandmother) is always convinced that I need to eat a huge amount, and I get borscht, cabbage soup (borscht without beets), and cabbage rolls literally forced into my mouth.

So yeah, I eat cabbage.

And I live in farm area- I know what they do to those cabbages! (Well, kinda.)

[ShelterLeopard]

And PS- this should've been in the opening post.

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-bounce011.gif

[ShelterLeopard]

Darnit, I meant this.
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-bounce011.gif

[ShelterLeopard]

DARNIT! I give up.

[XCskiNYC]

BS. any smoke in your lungs is not good.

They're just saying they don't use additives. You think they made that up? Maybe. And maybe the moon landings were shot in a parking lot outside Laughlin, NV.

[ShelterLeopard]

They're just saying they don't use additives. You think they made that up? Maybe. And maybe the moon landings were shot in a parking lot outside Laughlin, NV.

How did you find out about that??? In 10 seconds the FBI will be coming for you three, two, one...

[DapperD]

It depends on the individual. I used to smoke about a pack a day but bicycled 10 miles a day and ran 3 miles, 3 times a week.
My dad is 82 and still smokes but when he comes down here he can handle the trails better than many of the Butterball Brand 30 year old burger chompers that show up here.He walks up and down the beach for a few hours every day.
Fit is fit.
Many, many soldiers smoke and those guys tote immense amounts of weight around all day and also have to do the annual fitness test which would even kill most high school football jocks.

From what Iv'e learned, you can gain 100 lbs. on top of what you already weigh and still won't do the damage smoking 1 pack a day will do to your health.