1952 – 1956 Lorillard / Kent Sold Crocidolite Asbestos Filler

On By michaelvaporsIn newsLeave a comment

In 1952, as concerns grew over the link between ṣmọking and cạncẹr, Kent cigạrẹttẹṣ introduced the Micronite filter, claiming it would protect ṣmọkẹrs. However, between 1952 and 1956, these filters were made with crocidolite, or blue asbestos, one of the most hazardous forms. They were marketed as a “taste improvement” and “kind on the lungs.” When asbestos was marketed to the public.

Gemini Pro: One of the most tragic ironies in consumer history. The sentence fragment at the end of your prompt—“When asbestos was marketed to the public”—highlights a bizarre era where one of the deadliest carcinogens known to man was sold not just as a building material, but as a luxury health feature.

Here is the context on how asbestos was marketed to the public during that specific window (1952–1956) and why it was effective.

1. The “Science” Angle

In the early 1950s, the public began to worry about the “cancer scare” associated with smoking. Tobacco companies needed a way to reassure customers.

  • “Micronite” as a Buzzword: The term “Micronite” was pure marketing genius. It sounded high-tech, precise, and scientific. It obscured the fact that the material was actually crocidolite asbestos.
  • Medical Authority: Advertisements heavily featured men in white lab coats looking into microscopes. The marketing copy claimed the filter was “made of a material so safe, so pure, it’s used to filter the air in leading hospitals.” This was a fabrication intended to equate asbestos with sterile, medical-grade safety.

2. The “Miracle Mineral” Reputation

To understand how they got away with this, you have to look at the reputation of asbestos in the 1950s. It wasn’t viewed with fear; it was viewed with awe.

  • Ubiquity: Asbestos was marketed as the “Magic Mineral.” It was fireproof, durable, and cheap. It was in tablecloths, oven mitts, hairdryers, and even children’s costumes (for fire safety).
  • Perceived Safety: The public associated asbestos with protection (from fire), so the leap to protection (from smoke particles) felt logical to the average consumer.

3. The Specific Danger of the Kent Filter

While white asbestos (chrysotile) is dangerous, the blue asbestos (crocidolite) used in Kent filters is widely considered the most hazardous type due to its needle-like fibers.

  • The Mechanism: To filter the smoke effectively, the asbestos was packed very tightly. This made the cigarette hard to draw, forcing smokers to inhale more deeply to get smoke through.
  • The Failure: As users inhaled deeply, microscopic needles of blue asbestos would break loose from the filter and travel directly into their lungs.

The End of the Era

Lorillard (the maker of Kent) quietly changed the filter material from asbestos to cellulose acetate in 1956. They did not announce this change to the public or recall the old packs, likely to avoid admitting liability. It wasn’t until decades later, when rates of mesothelioma (a cancer almost exclusively caused by asbestos) skyrocketed among former factory workers and heavy smokers of that specific era, that the full scope of the tragedy was uncovered.

Requiem In The House

On By michaelvaporsIn Hand Check, Hardware, What I’m Vaping Today

Vandyvape and El Mono Vapeador (a spanish Ecig youtube ecig reviewer since 2013 who I never watched or knew about) created a cool looking mod back in 2023 called the Requiem. In fact he has a whole line of Requiem devices, atomizers, box mods etc. I personally don’t remember this mod and looking at youtube now dont really see many reviews of it. I do remember an rda of the same name in 2020 but not the mod. Anyway the point is this was recently found and purchased at Element Vape and getting the box, the label states manufactured 10/16/2023. So this can only be explained by the fact that it never sold out and some distributor somewhere else in the world had overstock that never sold. Why is that strange you may ask. Well, in 16 years of vaping, I have never seen this happen in the vaping retail ecosphere, that is all. I can only attribute this to poor marketing and advertising. Anyway, I picked up the “ultem” one because I liked the color combo better than the other colors offered, blue black, red and black gold. Its lightweight, nicely designed and feels like a high end mod. I do love the Vandyvape chipset. It has the full complement of features including 95 Watts, 21650, 28mm deck and usb C. Feels good in the hand and is well appointed. Glad I picked one up. Hope you can too before they actually sell out. At $53, its quite a bargain.

The Terminator

On By michaelvaporsIn Hardware

The Terminator. 12/14/2012. MSRP $59. Similar to the GG Ithaca, the Terminator was a not really a clone although some would consider it so as it functioned similarly to it as far as having to set up a NR to R wire to silica rope wrapped into a ceramic cup. It was much less expensive and probably made in Asia. It was only offered by one shop; Stormi’s Vapor Cellar I believe she had it commissioned and it also had a full compliment of accessories you could purchase for it as well. It was actually easier to set up than the Ithaca was.

The Nimbus RDA

On By michaelvaporsIn Hardware, How To

The Nimbus 2/11/2013. This little banger was hard to get at first. Made in the Philippines by Jeyps Vaper and Saint Quii Vaper. You had to get on a batch list in FB to get one. It was a simple 3 post deck, If I remember correctly, the center post would spin after a while making it difficult to clamp/position wire mainly because there was no place to off set the pin with a screwdriver. A fatal design mistake. I paid $50 + shipping to the USA. They were all the rage for a while and later got cloned with a channel on the bottom of the pin for a screwdriver. I added a ppt file converted to pdf on how to build it with flat wire which was becoming a thing and silica rope.

Dual Coil Pig Tail Wick ConfigurationDownload

Altsmoke SB and BB

On By michaelvaporsIn Hardware
SB
Dual SB
evolv kick

The Altsmoke SB or Silver Bullet 9/18/2009. The second mod I ever purchased for $99 which was and is still considered a bargain. The first mod I purchased was a $99 510 Kit by Joyetech which was a “cigalike” stick that used a 510 atty. Thick solid aircraft aluminum, this was a trusty mod that almost never failed. After time the switch would wear out and Chad would replace it after you sent it in. After mid production time and the invention of the evolv Kick in 2012, which regulated tube mod voltage, Altsmoke offered an extension so you could use the Kick with it which of course I purchased for it. The second pic here details the rare dual atty top cap to be used with two 510 atty’s or cartos. Originally this was intended for a 510/501 atty and later cartomizers and carto tanks. Identified by the raised 510 rim above the surface for air flow. With RDA’s on the rise, you certainly could use them but you would still have a non flat connection to the top cap which would leave a space between the top cap and the base of the RDA deck which bothered a lot of people. Later, a second version of the SB was produced and ultimately failed because of the re design of the switch. One hack which was NOT recommended by altsmoke was you could fit two RCR123A or 16340 batteries in the tube to achieve 6 Volts output.

The BB by Altsmoke 12/31/2009. The third mod I ever purchased after the purchase of the SB or Silver Bullet on 9.19.2009. Later in 2010, Rob at Altsmoke offered a passthrough kit / adapter which allowed it to be plugged into an 120V AC receptacle to operate off of AC power at around 6V without batteries, hence the name passthrough. Yes it still works. Mr. Chad Dzierwa was the original creator of the both the SB and BB in Ohio USA. The kit with batteries and 501 atomizers cost $189 MSRP. The passthrough adapter cost $55 MSRP.

CASAA Is Folding

On By michaelvaporsIn Vape Advocacy, Vape Community, Vaping Industry

Dear Members,

Last July, CASAA reached out to our members and allies with an urgent plea for funding. We spent the summer and into the fall approaching potential donors, but fell short of our goal. In turn, CASAA continued cutting costs to the point that we were no longer able to support our small staff of two paid employees. Since August of 2024, CASAA is completely run by volunteers. We have secured funding to enable us to continue our legislative advocacy efforts until August of this year. But beyond that, we do not expect enough future support to continue in any meaningful way.

It is with mixed emotions that we are taking this opportunity to announce that 2025 will be CASAA’s last year of active engagements. While we will be ceasing our legislative advocacy at the end of August, our website, CASAA.org, remains a valuable educational resource documenting the history of vaping, explaining tobacco harm reduction, and celebrating the consumer-led revolution in adoption of safer nicotine products. CASAA will use some of our remaining funds to keep the website active, although we anticipate transforming it into a legacy site. This means that information contained on the site will be pared down so that the site will require little maintenance.

Although we have gratefully received feedback from fellow advocates and industry leaders praising our efforts and noting the significance of our role in the consumer-led tobacco harm reduction movement, those accolades are rarely accompanied by financial support. For the better part of a decade, CASAA has articulated this dissonance by saying that it is absolutely appropriate for businesses to devote most or all of their advocacy budget to state and national trade groups.

While industry support has made up a significant portion of our funding, it was never expected that shops and manufacturers would pay for everything. Being supported by our consumer membership has allowed us to remain independent in our policy positions and advocacy messages that support affordable and legal access to safer alternatives to smoking. But that independence is fragile, and we experienced the consequences from bucking the narrative of the largest tobacco companies when we opposed policies that ban sales of unauthorized products — products that still make up more than 90% of the safer nicotine market.

Since 2009, CASAA has been a tireless voice of and for consumers who switched away from combustion to safer, smoke-free nicotine products. We have done this work on a shoestring, which is a testament to the power of our stories. CASAA has represented our members in city halls, state legislatures, and federal regulatory bodies, as well as shared the consumer view at professional conferences and in the media. We have brought to our work the heart and soul that only comes from genuine grassroots advocacy. Consmers are being recognized as a vital part of the debate over the responsible regulation of less risky tobacco and nicotine products, which is a pillar of CASAA’s mission.

We are not making this announcement from a place of desperation or futility. This is not the end, but merely a step in the evolution of consumers’ awareness, acceptance, and access to safer nicotine products and a healthier future.

Thank you for standing up for tobacco harm reduction!

Sincerely,

Alex Clark, Executive Director, CASAA

The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives (CASAA)
PO Box 2991, | Plattsburgh, New York 12901
Question? Email us at takeaction@casaa.org or call 202-241-9117

New To Me

On By michaelvaporsIn Hardware
Engraving

Even though this mod was introduced in 2023, it’s new to me. I must have missed its introduction back then. What caught my eye was one of the finishes available called Antique Brass and Paduak making this look like a antique collectors item. Padauk is an beautiful African hardwood. I would guess that its not really hardwood on the surrounds of the mod but the actual engraving on the faux wood with its name looks and feels authentic. For the price of $45 for the 21700 mod and the big sub-ohm tank + two coils, you just cant beat it. The fit and finish of the mod is good and it feels nice in the hand as well. The large screen is a plus as its easy to read and configure. The locking switch is a great addition to it as well. So far so good.

Ecigclick Review
It’s Page

Learn how to dispose of Li-ion Batteries

On By michaelvaporsIn Hardware, Vaping Industry

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/lithium-ion-battery-waste-fires-are-increasing-and-vapes-are-a-big-part-of-it/

Clipped from the article above:

The vape effect

Batteries as a whole are a growing concern, but there’s a reason Fire Rover’s report has an image of an exploding electronic vape pen on its cover, with the superimposed message “We are at war 2024.” Fogelman sees a notable shift in publicly reported fire data—not from Fire Rover’s own detection, but from news and other reports and sources—from the 2016–2021 period to 2022–2024. Something is causing this shift, and Fogelman’s most likely culprit is e-cigarettes, vapes, and other battery-powered nicotine devices.

Chart indicating The Vape Effect, with a line showing a marked increase in fires from 2016-2021 and then 2022 to 2024.

Vapes are perhaps the most effective single thing the e-waste and recycling industries could target. If everybody knew how to dispose of vapes properly, at sites that can safely handle them, there could be a reduction in risk.

But that safe, evenly distributed vape disposal network does not exist. As previously noted, you can make a rather powerful e-bike from the vapes left behind at a festival in the UK. In the US, the EPA directs people to bring their e-cigarettes to household hazardous waste (HHW) sites or pick-up events, which are “typically” free.

“Not only are their batteries being improperly discarded in waste and recycling bins, but the vape industry has done the bare minimum to invest in the technology needed to address the 1.2 billion vapes entering our waste and recycling streams annually,” the report states.