Cigarette Filters
Everyone knows smoking causes lung cancer. It’s a clear fact that has been substantiated by doctors and research scientists time and time again. However, a more unique link to a serious lung disease could be found in certain cigarette filters manufactured in the 1950s. Alarmingly, these filters contained crocidolite or “blue” asbestos, by far the most dangerous form of the toxic mineral.
From 1952 to 1957, P. Lorillard Company, the manufacturer of well-known Kent Cigarettes, pushed smokers to try their brand, which contained their new “Micronite” filter, touted as “the greatest health protection in cigarette history.” The invention of the Micronite filter (and other filtered cigarettes) came after health professionals started warning consumers of the dangers of cigarette smoking.
According to Lorillard, the Kent cigarette’s filter was “a pure, dust-free, completely harmless material that is so safe, so effective, it actually is used to help filter the air in hospital operating rooms.” No mention was made of the fact that this filter, which was supposed to eliminate the “bad” stuff, contained hazardous asbestos, and that the thousands who switched to Kent cigarettes because they were “healthier” would be inhaling asbestos fibers. (Records from the manufacturer show that the filter was a blend of 30% asbestos and 70% cotton and acetate.)
Lorillard would eventually produce 13 million cigarettes with their miracle filter and even continued making the cigarette for 18 months after a definitive link was made between this particular asbestos filter and various lung diseases.
However, smokers of Kent cigarettes from 1952 to 1957 weren’t the only ones subject to asbestos inhalation. The men and women who worked in the factories that produced the filter also showed significantly higher rates of cancer and other pulmonary diseases. Specifically, a number of employees at H&V Specialties Co., Inc. died of asbestos-related diseases after being involved with the manufacture of the Kent Micronite filters.
Coincidently, Lorillard redesigned the Micronite filter in 1957, probably due to growing pressure from those who recognized the dangers of the filter. But no explanation for the redesign was ever given by the executives at the tobacco company and the asbestos quietly disappeared, even though the Micronite name remained for several decades.
If you smoked Kent cigarettes with the Micronite filter between 1952 and 1957, you may have inhaled toxic asbestos fibers. Similarly, if you worked for a company that manufactured asbestos-containing filters, you may have also suffered asbestos exposure. Perhaps you’ve already been diagnosed with mesothelioma. If so, you have legal rights and you may be able to obtain compensation for your injuries. Take a moment to order a copy of our mesothelioma information kit for more details and to learn how an experienced asbestos attorney can help you or your loved ones.
