Profile America: Dromedary Debut — Joe Camel Is Born

Thursday, October 27 —  One of the nation’s most successful brand names went on sale for the first time this month in 1913 — Camel cigarettes, the first pre-blended, packaged cigarettes. While

Joe Camel

Joe Camel

machine-rolled cigarettes had been around since 1881, Camel was the first brand to become nationally popular. Coincidentally, Camels pioneered the now almost universal 20-cigarette pack. By 1919, with increasing advertising and product availability, cigarettes overtook pipe tobacco in the number of pounds consumed. Shortly after World War II, about 45 percent of Americans smoked. Now, just under 17 percent do so. Cigarette manufacturing remains a big part of the business for the country’s 149 tobacco-manufacturing establishments. Sales approach $36 billion annually.

You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online.

 

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