One of the most notorious cases of asbestos in a consumer product is the Kent cigarette “Micronite” filter. From 1952 to 1956, the Lorillard Tobacco Company marketed Kent cigarettes with a filter that was advertised as offering the “greatest health protection in cigarette history” — while the filter itself allegedly contained crocidolite asbestos, the most dangerous type.

The Micronite Filter

Kent’s Micronite filter was introduced in 1952 as a premium health-oriented feature. The filter material allegedly incorporated crocidolite (“blue”) asbestos (see types of asbestos) — the amphibole variety most strongly associated with mesothelioma. When a smoker drew on the cigarette, asbestos fibers could be pulled from the filter and inhaled directly into the lungs along with the smoke.

The asbestos-containing Micronite filter was used for roughly the 1952–1956 period before the formulation was changed. Because of the direct inhalation pathway, this brief window is regarded as a distinct and serious exposure source.

Who Was Exposed

  • Smokers of Kent cigarettes during the 1952–1956 Micronite-filter era, who inhaled fibers directly
  • Factory workers at the plants that manufactured the Micronite filters, who handled raw crocidolite asbestos — this workforce suffered a documented mesothelioma cluster
  • People with secondhand exposure in the manufacturing environment

Why It Matters

The Kent Micronite filter is frequently cited in asbestos litigation and public-health history as a stark example of asbestos placed directly into a product marketed as healthier — with the fibers positioned for direct inhalation. Both smokers of the era and the workers who made the filters have been diagnosed with mesothelioma decades later.

Health Risk

Crocidolite is the asbestos type most strongly linked to mesothelioma, and its presence in an inhaled product created an unusually direct exposure route. As with all asbestos exposure, disease typically appears 20 to 50 years afterward.

If you smoked Kent cigarettes during the Micronite-filter era or worked in the manufacture of the filters, and were diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may be entitled to compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation.

Product references reflect allegations documented in publicly filed litigation and public records. This page is educational and does not constitute legal or medical advice.