Two of these studies focused mainly on the impact of text descriptors that might convey reduced harm, such as “natural”, “100% additive-free”, and “organic”. Previous studies have examined the impact of NAS cigarette pack design elements on health and brand perceptions ( Kelly & Manning, 2014 Pearson et al., 2016 Leas et al., 2017). However, this does not apply to the word “Natural” in the NAS trademarked brand name that appears prominently on the pack. More recently, an agreement between the FDA and three tobacco companies, including SFNTC, resulted in the removal of the terms “additive-free” and “natural” from product labels and advertising ( Truth Initiative, 2017). The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 (FSPTCA) banned misleading descriptor terms, specifically “light”, “mild”, and “low” in 2010 ( U.S. However, research has shown that NAS or other cigarettes marketed as natural are not less harmful to health compared to other brands rather, NAS cigarettes fare worse than other mainstream brands on some indicators of toxicity ( Pappas et al., 2015). In the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, smokers overwhelmingly reported that they believed NAS cigarettes were less harmful to their health compared to other brands ( Pearson et al., 2017). Industry documents confirm that the tobacco industry has found similar results in their own research on cigarettes marketed as “natural” ( McDaniel & Malone, 2007). Researchers have found that even when NAS advertisements were accompanied by mandatory health warning statements, both adolescent and adult nonsmokers, as well as smokers were more likely to report beliefs that NAS was “healthier” than brand alternatives ( Byron et al., 2016). With its national market share increasing and a higher cost compared to leading brands ( Sharma et al., 2016), NAS uses images and the text “natural” and “organic” to create a “health halo” effect ( Epperson, Prochaska, & Henriksen, 2017).
SFNTC is owned by Reynolds American, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco. A popular brand that relies on these marketing tactics is Natural American Spirit™ (NAS), produced by Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company (SFNTC). In an effort to decrease negative perceptions of cigarettes, some tobacco companies market their cigarettes as a “natural,” “organic,” or more “environmentally friendly” alternative to other brands ( McDaniel & Malone, 2007). has declined over the past few decades, there are still approximately 36 million smokers ( Jamal et al., 2018). Although the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the U.S.
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