Canadian Charcoal cigarettes are the charcoal filter version of the Canadian brand, a king size full flavour smoke sold in cartons of 200. We carry the Full Flavour at $49.99 a carton, the same price as every other cigarette in the Canadian line.
Below is what sellers say about the brand, what a charcoal filter is, what lab studies found it does to smoke, and how it compares with Canadian Full Flavour, Lights and Ultra Lights.
Who makes Canadian Charcoal
None of the sellers we checked name a manufacturer. What they agree on is the format: king size, full flavour, with charcoal built into the filter. It’s sold by native cigarette sellers online, and other sellers list the carton as tax-free.
Charcoal is the only thing that sets it apart from the rest of the Canadian family. The name and the price follow the same pattern as Canadian Full Flavour, Canadian Lights and Canadian Ultra Lights.
How many cigarettes in a carton
Sellers list Canadian Charcoal Full at 20 king size cigarettes a pack and 10 packs a carton, which comes to 200 cigarettes. Our listing doesn’t print the count, so that number comes from the seller pages that do.
| Detail | Canadian Charcoal Full |
|---|---|
| Length | King size |
| Per pack | 20 cigarettes |
| Per carton | 10 packs, 200 cigarettes |
| Filter | Charcoal |
| Our carton price | $49.99 |
Is there a Charcoal Light?
Some sellers list a Canadian Charcoal Light next to the Full, also at 200 to the carton. When we checked, the Light was out of stock at those sellers, and we only carry the Canadian Charcoal Full Flavour right now.
What a charcoal filter is
The charcoal in a cigarette filter is activated carbon, also called activated charcoal. It’s carbon that has been treated until it is extremely porous, which gives it a huge surface area for its weight. Gases and vapours stick to that surface as air passes over it. That’s called adsorption, and it’s the same reason activated carbon is used to filter air and water.
In a cigarette, the charcoal either sits in a small cavity inside the filter or is spread through the regular filter material. Our post on what’s inside a cigarette filter covers the other parts.
What studies report it does to smoke
Most of the research on charcoal filters is machine smoking in a lab. A cigarette is lit, a machine draws on it in set puffs, and the smoke that comes through is measured. Here’s what the published work reports.
| What was measured | What the studies report |
|---|---|
| Gases and volatile chemicals | Lower than in a similar cigarette without charcoal. More charcoal in the filter meant a bigger drop. |
| Harder, longer puffs | Filters with little charcoal got saturated and let more through. The ones with the most charcoal held up better. |
| Tar and other particles | No clear drop. Heavier chemicals such as benzo[a]pyrene, a known carcinogen, were not significantly removed. |
| Disease risk | One review found only a single population study, and it did not show a clear benefit. |
A 2008 lab study from the US Centers for Disease Control tested charcoal filters holding 45 mg to 180 mg of charcoal. The filters cut a wide range of volatile chemicals compared with a similar cigarette without charcoal, but the low charcoal filter worked less well once the puffs got bigger. A follow-up from the same lab in 2010 found the charcoal pulled out some lighter compounds, while the heavier, more toxic ones stayed in the smoke.
A 2008 literature review found the same split. Charcoal took out part of the gas phase of the smoke and did nothing measurable to the particle phase, which is where tar sits. The authors said the evidence was too thin to say charcoal filtration reduces smoking-related disease.
Two things to keep in mind. None of these studies tested Canadian Charcoal itself, and no seller publishes how much charcoal is in its filter. A lab machine also doesn’t smoke the way a person does.
No cigarette is safe
A charcoal filter changes how the smoke tastes and feels. It doesn’t make the cigarette safe. Health Canada says plainly that there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke, and that cigarette filters don’t keep toxic smoke out of your body. The US National Cancer Institute says there is no safe tobacco product.
Sellers describe the charcoal draw as smoother, and that is a taste preference, nothing more. If you smoked Belmont back when it was built around charcoal, our post on Belmont cigarettes explains what happened to the brand and why Canadian Charcoal is the closest thing we sell.
How it compares to the Canadian line
Every cigarette in our Canadian cigarettes category is $49.99 a carton, so price won’t decide it for you. Strength and filter will.
| Cigarette | Filter | How our listing describes it | Carton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Charcoal Full Flavour | Charcoal | Bold, with a smoother draw | $49.99 |
| Canadian Full Flavour | Regular | Bold, rich tobacco blend | $49.99 |
| Canadian Lights | Regular | Lighter flavour, mellow draw | $49.99 |
| Canadian Ultra Lights | Regular | The mildest of the line | $49.99 |
Charcoal vs Canadian Full Flavour
These two are the closest pair. Both are full flavour king size cigarettes, and the only difference is the filter. If Canadian Full is a little harsh for you, the Charcoal is the one to try next. If you like the bite of a regular filter, stick with the Full.
Charcoal vs Lights and Ultra Lights
Lights and Ultra Lights are milder in taste. If you want to keep a full flavour blend and just soften the draw, the Charcoal is the other way to go. On any brand, Light and Ultra Light describe the taste. They don’t mean the cigarette carries less risk.
The Canadian Classics Original and Silver sit in the same category at the same price, if you’d rather compare those too.
Canadian Charcoal price
A carton of Canadian Charcoal Full Flavour is $49.99 here. At 200 cigarettes a carton, that works out to 25 cents a cigarette, or about $5 a pack. Two cartons come to $99.98 and five come to $249.95.
Since the whole Canadian line costs the same, you can mix cartons in one order. If you can’t decide, get one Charcoal and one regular Canadian Full the first time and compare the two filters side by side.
Ordering Canadian Charcoal
We ship cartons across Canada. Delivery usually takes 3 to 7 business days depending on where you live, and we only take Interac e-Transfer. Once your order ships you can follow it, and when the cartons arrive, keep them sealed somewhere cool and dry until you open them.
Quick answers
Are charcoal filter cigarettes better for you?
No. Lab studies show charcoal cuts some gases in the smoke but not the tar, and there is no good evidence it lowers disease risk. Health Canada says there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke.
Do charcoal cigarette filters work?
They do trap some volatile chemicals in machine tests, more so when the filter holds more charcoal. They don’t remove the particles that make up tar.
Charcoal filter cigarettes vs regular, what’s the difference?
A charcoal filter has activated carbon inside it on top of the usual filter material. Sellers describe the draw as smoother. It doesn’t change the risk.
What do Canadian Charcoal cigarettes taste like?
Sellers describe them as full bodied and smooth. Our listing doesn’t have any customer reviews yet, so if you try a carton, leave one.
How much is a carton of Canadian Charcoal?
$49.99 for 200 cigarettes, which is 25 cents a cigarette.
You must be of legal age in your province to buy tobacco, which is 18 or 19 in most provinces and 21 in Prince Edward Island. Smoking is addictive and causes serious disease.
