Abstract: An apparatus for marking cigarettes with a mark to terminate operation of a smoking machine includes a jig for holding at least 40 cigarettes and maintaining the cigarettes' position with a seam side of each cigarette facing a given direction. A scannable laser having a laser light output at an intensity and frequency makes a scorch mark on the seam of each cigarette paper without perforating the cigarette paper. A software control system for the scannable laser is programmed to cause the laser to scan over the cigarettes in the jig to etch and make a circumferentially-oriented line segment mark no longer than 1.5 millimeter and no wider than 0.5 millimeter on the cigarettes at a predetermined position along the length of the cigarettes.

Abstract: The invention is for a multi-fold improvement for tobacco, including cigarettes, cigars, pipe smoking and other smoking devices by decreasing the health hazards thereof by:1. Replacing and/or reducing substantially all of the nitrate in cigarette paper by use of an oxidizing agent such as potassium permanganate.2. Improving the completeness of burning of the relatively poisonous and undesirable components of tar and smoke of cigarette smoke through addition of an oxidizing agent such as potassium permanganate to the cigarette.Using an oxidizing agent to render non-poisonous certain toxic components in smoking devices and materials including cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and other plant derived ingredients useful and used for smoking.

Abstract: Smoking articles comprising a high density, relatively low porosity coherent mass of combustible tobacco-containing material having at least one passage extending therethrough are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment the smoking article is a cylinder having at least one passage axially therethrough. The smoking article may further comprise a plug of ignitable material in passage blocking position at one end of the passage, said plug being such as to permit puff induced air flow therethrough. At least one additional plug may be similarly disposed at the opposite end of the passage or at an intermediate point in the passage. By adjusting the density, the surface area and/or the porosity of the mass available for combustion, the per puff delivery of tar by the smoking article upon combustion may be controlled.