Abstract: A cigarette comprises a hollow rod for directing smoke and air from the lit end of the cigarette to a filter located at the mouth end of the cigarette. The rod is formed of tobacco material and/or other carbonaceous material, together with a binder and preferably an organic or inorganic salt. In one embodiment, the rod is a low density rod, which when lit burns in an inverted fire cone. In a second embodiment, a thin-walled rod is surrounded by a column of leaf tobacco. The thin-walled rod includes a salt, preferably calcium carbonate, in an amount preferably between 25% and 45%, which increases the combustion temperature. It also preferably is perforated to allow smoke generated in the tobacco column to be drawn into the hollow center passage. In either embodiment, the amount of wet particulate matter is reduced due to the improved combustion characteristics.