Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company

The Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, maker of the "American Spirit" brand of cigarettes, is a subsidiary of Reynolds American, (R.J. Reynolds), maker of the mainstream brands Winston and Camel. After nearly a decade of being independently owned, in 2002, Reynolds American bought Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company. Nowhere on the current packaging or advertisements is the bigger company mentioned, however.

Green marketing
The American Spirit brand seeks to attract socially and environmentally-conscious smokers, and says it uses organic, pesticide-free tobacco. Santa Fe's Web site says, “Supporting sustainable agriculture is part of our commitment to reducing our footprint on the Earth, and protecting our natural resources.” It also says "We purchase electricity generated from sustainable sources, like wind power, for our facilities" and gives "eco-tips," like which plastics to avoid because they are harder to recycle.

Deceptive practices
The use of the word "natural" in its brand name, the Native American pictured on its logo, and claims that it uses organic farming practices and has no additives have given many consumers the idea that American Spirit is a safer cigarette. To help remedy this, in 2000, the Federal Trade Commission ordered Santa Fe to disclose on all relevant packaging that “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.”

Contact
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco 1 Plaza La Prensa Santa Fe, NM 87507 Tel: (505) 982-4257

Related Sourcewatch resources

 * Tobacco industry activity in New Mexico
 * Tobacco industry