Alfa (cigarette)

Italian pack of Alfa

Alfa was launched in the 1940s by Ente Tabacchi Italiani. Considered at the time to be a relatively low-quality producer of Italian cigarettes, Alfa used a dark and low-grade tobacco, often containing dust or pieces of wood. High in tar, Alfa cigarettes were advertised as a tasty cigarette at a low price. In the period in which "Nazionali Semplici" ("Nationals without filter") were difficult to find as part of the "Mobile Scale Basket" established by the Italian government, Alfa became a popular alternative, despite its lower quality.

As with similar brands such Super and Nazionali, short size Alfa packs were eventually discontinued, with their production replaced by longer King Size packs since the 1990s.[1]

In March 1991, La Repubblica reported that the tar and nicotine content of Italian cigarette brands, including Alfa, were to be lowered by the Italian government. From 31 December 1992, cigarettes could contain no more than 15 mg of tar. The amount of tar would be lowered once again to 12 mg from 31 December 1997. In contrast, Alfa cigarettes at the time contained 18 mg of tar.[2]

In 2003, the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance published a list of cigarette brands that were required to lower their tar and nicotine content. The Alfa brand was required to lower its tar and nicotine levels from 11.5 mg tar and 0,95 mg nicotine in 2002 to 10.0 mg tar and 0,90 mg nicotine in 2003.[3]

In May 2014, a decision was made by the Italian Tobacco Board to discontinue the Alfa brand,[4] with production ceasing later that year.

The golden lion with the shield, introduced at the end of the 1970s to gradually substitute the existing logo denoting a sailing ship, represents the old symbol of the Italian "Monopoli di Stato" ("State Monopoly"), the national tobacco industry. The white triangle on the red background with the red Greek "Alfa" ("Alpha") painted on a white package was the brand's symbol from the 1970s.

Historically, Alfa was mainly sold in Italy, but was and in many cases is still sold in countries such as, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Japan.[5][6][7]

• Tobacco smoking