Natural American Spirit, often abbreviated as American Spirit, is a brand of smokes known for its additive-free offerings. Established in 1982 by a group of entrepreneurs in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Natural American Spirit brand has grown significantly, expanding its market presence both in the USA and internationally. In Novermber 2001, Reynolds American, the US subsidary of British American Tobacco (BAT), acquired American Spirit for $320 million in cash, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. In September 2015, Japan Tobacco (JT) acquired the rights to sell Natural American Spirit products outside the United States. Japan Tobacco currently sells American Spirit in close to 20 international markets, including Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Canada and Brazil.
Natural American Spirit offers a variety of cigarette products, distinguished by color codes that indicate nicotine and tar content. These variations are achieved through the use of different filters and cigarette papers.
Full-bodied Natural American Spirit cigarettes
| Blue | Dark Blue | Light Blue | Black | Gray | Brown | Agate |
| Original Blend | U.S. grown premium tobacco | U.S. grown premium tobacco | Rich & Robust (contains 10% Perique tobacco) | Perique Rich Taste | Non-Filtered | Rich Sweet Taste (only in Japan) |
Smooth & Mellow Natural American Spirit cigarettes
| Yellow | Gold | Orange | Tan | Sky | Turquoise |
| Original Mellow Blend | Organic mellow taste | Orginal smooth taste | U.S. grown premium mellow taste | Smooth taste with a charcoal filter | Organic ultra-light taste |
Green Natural American Spirit cigarettes
| Hunter Green | Celadon Green | Dark Green | Light Green |
| Full-bodied balanced menthol taste | Unique balanced menthol taste | Organic full-bodied menthol taste | Organic mellow menthol taste |
In addition to cigarettes, Natural American Spirit offers Roll Your Own (RYO) tobacco available in 100g tins and 30g or 40g pouches. Natural American Spirit RYO tobacco is categorized similarly to the machine-made cigarette variants, using color-coded packaging to indicate different strengths and flavors.
| Blue | Yellow | Gold | Black | Turquoise | Green |
| Full-bodied | Mellow | Organic | Perique blend | Ultra-light | Menthol |
| Robust, strong-flavored tobacco | A smoother, milder alternative | Made with USDA-certified organic tobacco | Contains Perique tobacco (with rich, bold flavor) | Light in flavor and perceived strength | Natural menthol taste |
Natural American Spirit: Organic & 100% Additive-Free Cigarettes
The organic and 100% additive-free and claims have been a major part of Natural American Spirit’s identity and marketing strategy. Natural American Spirit has long promoted its cigarettes as “100% additive-free,” meaning they do not contain the chemicals, preservatives, and flavor enhancers that are commonly found in other cigarette brands. Some versions of Natural American Spirit cigarettes use certified organic tobacco, meaning they are grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers.
As an obvious consequence of this branding strategy, some smokers mistakenly believe that these cigarettes are safer or healthier than regular cigarettes. While “organic” tobacco is free from certain agricultural chemicals, the process of smoking still generates harmful toxic chemicals and smoking American Spirit cigarettes pose significant health risks – as do the “inorganic” and “additive-full” cigarettes.
In 2010, the California Attorney General and 32 other states forced Natural American Spirit to disclose that its cigarettes are “not safer or healthier than other cigarettes. In 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a warning letter to Reynolds American, arguing that advertising American Spirit as “additive-free” misleads consumers into thinking it is a reduced-risk product. In 2017, the US FDA banned the terms “additive-free” and “natural” from American Spirit packaging and marketing, citing potential misleading health claims. In 2018, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, the subsidary of Reynolds American which manufactures Natural American Spirit, for allegedly misleading consumers with claims about organic tobacco.
Despite these regulatory & legal controversies, Natural American Spirit remains popular, especially among smokers who prefer a perceived “purer” alternative to the regular cigarettes, and owns strong value, as determined by the consumer’s perception of its quality and desirability – presumably, only second to Marlboro in the USA.
Use of Native American Imagery
The brand’s use of Native American imagery, such as the depiction of an Indigenous person on the packaging and the use of fabricated folktales, has been criticized as cultural appropriation and for promoting stereotypes. Research indicates that this imagery led some consumers, including Indigenous peoples, to mistakenly believe that the brand was owned or operated by a tribe or on tribal land, and that it was more “natural” and thus healthier. Natural American Spirit stated that the imagery was intended to align tobacco usage with a perceived “moderation” practiced by Indigenous peoples in the 15th century and a part of proceeds from sales support Native communities.
