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A cigarillo (from Spanish cigarrillo 'cigarette'; in turn from cigarro 'cigar', and -illo (diminutive suffix); pronounced [siɣaˈriʝo] in parts of Latin America, [θiɣaˈriʎo] in Spain) is a short, narrow cigar. Unlike cigarettes, cigarillos are wrapped in tobacco leaves or brown, tobacco-based paper. Cigarillos are smaller than regular cigars but usually larger than cigarettes. Cigarillos are usually made without filters, and are meant to be smoked like a cigar and not inhaled (except those made in this form only for specific tax issues).

Generally, a cigarillo contains about three grams of tobacco; the length varies from seven to ten centimetres (3–4 in) and the diameter is about 6–9 mm, usually 8 mm. Comparatively, a cigarette contains less than one gram of tobacco,^[4] and is about eight centimetres (3 in) in length and 8 mm in diameter. Most cigarillos are machine-made, which is cheaper than hand-rolling. It is unusual to store them in humidors, partly because they are smoked in large quantities and so have a short shelf-life.

Cheap cigarillos are typically marketed as a brand rather than with the term cigarillo.^{[citation needed]} In the United Kingdom, common consumer brands include Henri Wintermans Signature (formerly Café Creme) and Hamlets.^[1] In the rest of Europe, they include Dannemann Moods, Candlelight, Agio Panters and Mehari's, Clubmaster and Handelsgold are popular. In the United States, they include Swisher Sweets, Black & Mild, Backwoods, Dutch Masters, Garcia Y Vega, Game, Optimo, Good Times, and Phillies. Some famous cigar brands, such as Cohiba or Davidoff, also make cigarillos: Cohiba Mini and Davidoff Club Cigarillos.

In Spanish-speaking countries, as well as in the Philippines, cigarrillo means a cigarette. Anglo-Americans were first introduced to 'cigarrillos' on a massive scale during their conquest of New Mexico and California in the American-Mexican War 1846-1848. It was observed that, "Both sexes smoke cigarrillos almost incessantly."^[5]

Taxation[edit]

In the United States, cigarillos (and cigars) were taxed at a lower rate than cigarettes. In February 2009 an increase from 5 cents to 40 cents per pack as part of the SCHIP expansion bill set a tax rate similar to that for cigarettes.^[7]

Health concerns[edit]

Like other tobacco products, cigarillos are a health risk to those who smoke them.^[4] In Brazil, Uruguay, Canada, Australia, India, and throughout Europe they are subject to the same laws which require manufacturers to place a health warning on a portion of each package. Like cigars, cigarillos are not meant to be inhaled. As a result of this, it is often assumed that cigarillos are a healthier alternative to cigarettes, ^{[citation needed]} but health authorities around the world still warn smokers of the risk they pose due to smoke being in the mouth.

See also[edit]

• Beedi
• Cigar
• Cigarette
• Cheroot
• Blunt (cigar)
• Health effects of tobacco
• Smoking culture
• Swisher Sweets

References[edit]

• Johnston, Abraham, Robinson; Edwards, Marcellus, Ball; Ferguson, Philip, Gooch. (1936) Marching with the Army of the West 1846-1848. Edited by Ralph P. Bieber. The Arthur H. Clark Company, Glendale, California.