Vanguard Tobacco-Free Cigarettes

Vanguard cigarettes, which came on the market in 1959, were advertised as containing no tobacco tars, no nicotine, and no arsenic. So what did they contain? It was a mystery substance called 'Fibrila'.

The FDA examined a sample of Fibrila and determined it was a blend of "sugar cane bagasse, licorice and corn silk." But mostly corn silk.

Corn silk is that stringy stuff you have to remove before eating an ear of corn. Apparently it's long been a popular tobacco substitute among teenagers denied access to real cigarettes. And it's possible to make a tea out of it as well.

The Hackensack Record - Sep 24, 1959

Who We Are
Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Alex - Mon Sep 27, 2021
Category: Smoking and Tobacco

Comments

I tried these. They tasted just like standing in thick smoke from a burning garbage dump. Bleah!

Posted by Virtual in Carnate on 09/27/21 at 05:59 AM

But people only smoke FOR the addictive nicotine.

Posted by John on 09/27/21 at 08:22 AM

Reminiscent of Bravo: https://www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/bravo_smokes_lettuce_cigarette

Posted by ges on 09/27/21 at 09:56 AM

Virtual In Carnate, that's how you know they are made with real corn silk. Just like my grandpa used to smoke with his friends in the boondocks, during his youth.

Posted by Yudith on 10/02/21 at 06:26 AM

Excuse me!

It's possible to make an infusion out of them. Not, by any means, a tea. Tea is made of Camellia Sinensis or Camellia Assamica. Not herbal, not maize fluff, not cannabis, and especially not rooibos.

Yes, I will kill over this.

Posted by Richard Bos on 10/02/21 at 01:40 PM

Commenting is not available in this channel entry.