Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are you owned by Phillip Morris?
2. Are you affiliated with any American Indian enterprises?
3. What are “fire-safe” cigarettes?
4. Why don’t you show tar and nicotine levels for your cigarettes?
5. Are you a signatory to the 1998 tobacco industry Master Settlement Agreement (MSA)?
6. How can I get my name removed from your mailing list?
7. Do you sell other tobacco products other than Natural American Spirit?
8. Are cigarette butts litter?

Are you owned by Phillip Morris?

No. We became an independent operating unit of Reynolds American Inc. in 2002, but we’re the same company we’ve always been with the same values and commitment to producing the highest quality tobacco products we’ve always had.

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Are you affiliated with any American Indian enterprises?

No, we are not an American Indian enterprise and we’re not affiliated with any American Indian groups, but a portion of our sales of every pack, pouch and tin is donated to support American Indian causes. To read more about the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company Foundation, which supports the preservation of American Indian self-sufficiency, language and culture, go to www.sfntcfoundation.org.

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What are “fire-safe” cigarettes?

As a result of legislation in an increasing number of states, we have created Natural American Spirit FSC (Fire Standards Compliant) cigarettes, which use a special cigarette paper to meet several states performance standards for ignition propensity. But remember, FSC cigarettes are NOT “fire safe” and need the same careful attention and handling as any other cigarette. Any burning cigarette can ignite materials if handled carelessly.

We use a modified paper and, in some cases, a modified filter, to adhere to FSC requirements. Our tobacco remains unchanged and still 100% additive-free.

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Why don’t you show tar and nicotine levels for your cigarettes?

In November, 2008 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it would no longer approve of the long standing practice of referring to tar and nicotine yields in cigarette advertising as being “by FTC method.” The FTC method, also called the Cambridge Filter Method, is a machine-based testing method that “smokes” cigarettes and measures their tar and nicotine yields. The FTC has decided that such standardized tar and nicotine information does not help consumers make informed decisions about the cigarettes they choose to smoke. As a result of the FTC decision, we have removed the tar and nicotine information about our cigarettes from our two websites.

For more information on the FTC decision, go to the FTC's web site.

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Are you a signatory to the 1998 tobacco industry Master Settlement Agreement (MSA)?

Yes. We are a voluntary signatory to the MSA. We are committed to complying with the marketing and other provisions of the MSA and to achieving its objective of reducing underage access to and use of tobacco products. We do not want underage persons to smoke or have access to our products. We market only to smokers 21 years of age or older. We do not encourage non-smokers to start or existing smokers to smoke more. The best way to reduce the risks of smoking is to quit. There is no safe cigarette. To read the full text of the MSA, click here.

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How can I get my name removed from your mailing list?

Just send an e-mail to feedback@sfntc.com or call us at 1-800-332-5595 and ask us to take your name off our mailing list. You might get one more mailing if we’ve already sent it out, but you shouldn’t receive any more after that.

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Do you sell other tobacco products other than Natural American Spirit?

Yes. We market Dunhill International and State Express 555. We sell these brands only to licensed tobacco distributors.

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Are cigarette butts litter?

Yes. It could take thousands of years to biodegrade just one cigarette butt so they should be considered litter. We encourage all smokers to dispose of cigarette butts responsibly. For more facts on cigarette litter, visit www.cigarettelitter.org.

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Disclaimer on external web links

The appearance of external links does not constitute endorsement by Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. SFNTC does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations.

Please let us know about existing external links which you believe are inappropriate.

SFNTC adopted in 2007 a stretch of the Santa Fe River, which was named the “Most Endangered River” in the country in 2007 by American Rivers. We made a three-year, $150,000 commitment to the rehabilitation efforts.

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