Alternative names | Candy sticks, candy stix |
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Type | Confectionery |
Main ingredients | Sugar |
Variations | Candy, bubble gum, chocolate |
Candy cigarettes are a candy introduced in the late 19th century[1] made out of chalky sugar, bubblegum or chocolate, wrapped in paper and packaged and branded so as to resemble cigarettes. Some products contain powdered sugar hidden in the wrapper, allowing the user to blow into the cigarette and produce a cloud of sugar that imitates smoke, which comes out of the other end.
Candy cigarettes' existence on the market has long been controversial because research has shown that they prime children to take up smoking real (tobacco) cigarettes. [2][3] Candy cigarettes can also serve as a way to market cigarettes to children, as many candy cigarettes have branding nearly identical to cigarette brands.[4] Because of this, the selling of candy cigarettes has been banned in several countries, though they continue to be manufactured and consumed in many parts of the world. However, many manufacturers now describe their products as candy sticks, bubble gum, or simply candy.[5]