Epic Win: Candy Cigarettes
Submitted by C Travis-Groves
Oh, man. Can you believe we used to play with these and think it was cool? Remember getting a bunch in your Halloween goodie bag? They tasted awful-it didn’t matter if it was the gum or that white chalky stuff.
Firing up the Way Back Machine, here’s a delightful candy smoke assortment:
Photo via candyfavorites.com
Forget Camel Joe, here’s Popeye! Nosiree, not marketing to children at all.
Photo via gasolinealleyantiques
Wow. Things sure have changed! Yes, you can still buy these, but who would give them to a kid NOW?
This was a two pack a day habit for me in 4th grade. Memories. Sniff.
This makes me feel a little bit silly. I just bought a pack of Lucky Lights yesterday. I can’t not have them in the house- they’re the greatest. This isn’t retro for me because I have a chalky white candy cigarette every day!
Me too!
The funny thing is, my mother smoked and I thought it was the grossest thing on the face of the planet, but I sure raced up to the stop-n-go every chance I got to buy the darn things.
Here in Australia, kids were addicted to a brand called “Fags”. But some years ago the name was changed for PC reasons to “Fads”. They weren’t tough anymore, so I moved onto the real ones.
Yeah they had the red tip on them and everything. I wonder how many kids who used to smoke “fags” actually went on to become real smokers? I know I did.
lol i mentioned these in the tootsie roll post. WIN!
My mom would freak out when i bought these so i made sure to always get a pack when she wanted me to buy her cigarettes for her (back when all you needed was a note from your parents and an 8yr old could buy a pack of marlboros LOL) she eventually quit smoking because i pretended to start XD
Oh I know! Remember that? We used to go to the corner store (together, buddy system, ya know) with a note and money. We were to buy the cigarettes, and candy for ourselves with the change, and come straight home, no monkeying around.
I never tried to sneak one of the cigarettes, never asked my mom for one, and never grew up to be a smoker, myself. Hhhm, gee government, do you think you can take us out of this plastic bubble now?
(sorry for the rant, candy cigarettes rule!)
Ah, good memories, indeed. I second the rant on the govt. bubble, my sentiments exactly!
ironic how it works out that way, i never became a smoker either. i was the only one that ran to the store for them, my bro and sis are both smokers too o_0 maybe the clerks gave us glares and scarred us for life?
Heh. I never even needed a note, because the store was just down the street, and the guy knew who the cigarettes were for. And I started being the hosue gopher as soon as I was old enough to cross the street – 5. Though I used to spend the change on a comic book or something. And yeah, I’m a smoker now, but I started off with pot (at 16) and moved to tobacco because it was easier and cheaper to get.
As for the candy cigarettes tasting “awful”, I remember liking them (the chalky kind). The Popeye brand, I think.
Hehe… your comment about being your family’s gopher (as well as others’ comments about buying cigs for their parent’s with a written note) totally reminded me of my own childhood doing that.
I’ve tried pot several times, but can’t get into it (too expensive), so I just stick to the occasional pack of real smokes.
We didn’t *think* they were cool.
We *knew* they were cool.
Ha ha ha!! Good one!
Ah, sweet sweet memories. If you took the fag and rolled it between your hands (to loosen up some of the powder between the gum and the wrapper) you could blow it and make “smoke” come out the end.
On a related note – this was the gayest thing I’ve ever written. Ever.
In Holland we do actually still hand out something like that with our “Sinterklaas”… only they’re cheap chocolate inside a paper wrapper. Then again, Sinterklaas is some old white catholic guy with “black pete” as his er… helper…
According to David Sedaris, it’s “six to eight black men”. lol.
Oh, yes, I’ve heard of Sinterklaas and Black Pete. Sinterklaas would give the presents and candy to good children, and Black Pete would beat the crap out of the naughty ones. More effective threat than coal, I suppose.
AH!
When i was a kid i would smoke my candy cigs and drink root beer out of the unlabeled bottles that looked like beer bottles and pretend to be a grownup…
parenting fail.
*inhales off her cig*
Are you talking about IBC root beer?
My fiance and I bought some of that at K-Mart a few months back and the lady tried to card us. We laughed really, really hard, then said, “That’s root beer and cream soda, but sure, lemme get my ID out.”
For reals? I didn’t know K-Mart sold beer. Wow.
Depends what state you are in.
k-mart sucks.
of course i’m an excellent driver.
Yup IBC. i felt so sophisticated lol.
i got carded once for sparkling grape juice in a champagne bottle looking bottle.
it was silly. it was just grape juice…
I loved these! If only I would have stuck with these instead of the real ones.
Heck, if you knew the store clerk, you wouldn’t need a note to purchase smokes for your “parents”. Although the clerk did wonder once why my dad kept switching brands and only smoked menthol on the days I bought the cigarettes for him. Busted!
Oh man I remember one time I was at a birthday party and there were some of these in the pinata. I picked up a pack and my parents about flipped a lid. Even though my dad smoked, they didn’t want me getting any ideas!
So strange the difference between then and now……..
I thought they tasted pretty good, actually. The pink tip was a nice touch.
Yes, and those were the actual CANDY Cigarettes – not the bubble-gum cigarettes. And, if you lit them, they smelled like burnt marshmallows… And, they do still make those, but they call them Candy Sticks instead of Cigarettes. I picked up a bag a couple of Halloweens ago and gave them out to the kids! They had Superheros on them! Go figure!
My kids got a bunch of those “candy sticks” this past Halloween. I loved it because I remember getting packs of the candy cigarettes at the drug store and my brothers and I would pretend to smoke them. We did the same thing with the “punks” you get to light your fireworks with. None of us ever became smokers though, hmmmmm.
I had a friend who would light them…I do wonder what they were intended to taste like in the first place though.
Isn’t Candy Sticks awfully similar to Cancer Sticks? At least they’re not calling ‘em that.
MMM! Candy sticks!! yeh, i never was sure when the name change occured, but i remmeber back when they used to have the red tips
those were awesome, nevermind the fact that i hate smoking.
A couple years back I was in a mom-n-pop gas station and they still had these for sale. Either they were very old, or they still make them.
I miss these things. I love chalky candy, e.g., PEZ, conversation hearts, and Lik-a-Stik sticks.
You can still find these in some specialty candy stores. Dylan’s candy bar is one of them
the little corner market down the street sells them. my kids always pick them out! i remember getting them and thinking it was so cool to make the “smoke” come out when you puffed on them. so cool!
Oh yes, or to “smoke” one when it’s really cold outside while waiting for the bus. Tee hee!
GOSH. WHAT AN AMAZING COINCIDENCE. I SUBMITTED THIS SAME IDEA A MONTH AGO.
You can still find them, along with chocolate and bubblegum cigars in smoke shops. In my HS health class, our teacher offered extra credit to anyone who could find some. My mom found some in a smoke shop, the cigars all had “it’s a boy” or “it’s a girl” on them, so they were definitely not aimed at kids, heh. (Dear God I hope not…)
My kids love these. They have them at the grocery store, and they are always begging for them.
you can still buy all the “brands” pictured at the candy store in the mall where i live.
You live in a mall?
Actually down here you can do that. We have a huge upscale mall and above it is a hotel. You can stay a night or longer. Your balcony looks down onto the mall below. It’s awesome.
I think that these would be the ultimate Halloween candy to pass out… Until they make chocolate razor blades or something like that anyways
That made me laugh out loud in my cubicle, clearly giving away the fact that I’m not…oh what’s the word… uhm… working.
Oh wow, I remember buying these from the ice cream man that would come down our neighborhood! I loved the chalky ones the best..
I forgot all about these, and now I must find a pack, asap.
agree’d the only cool thing about the gum ones was blowing the powdered sugar “smoke” out the end.
boo.
I recently argued with my hubby about these, he reminded me that I like the taste of pepto bismol so my vote for the white chalky ones didn’t count.
I used to pick these up from a candy store in Solvang. Run around, pretending we smoked them, with the little puff of chalk/powder… heh.
Damn good memories.
I did still see these at a 50’s type diner/memorabilia shop in Indiana/Kentucky (thereabouts) about a year ago, so I know they still have them. Also in Julien, CA, they sell them.
Note? Note? We didn’t need no stinkin’ notes! I remember running to the front of the restaurant several times to buy cigs for my parents from the cigarette machine (usually found between the men’s & women’s restrooms)! No one batted an eye. We also tried to fool the cops by bringing up our books next to our faces on really cold days & exhaling to make it look like we were smoking…dang coppers never fell for that trick.
I loved candy cigs, especially the ones with the red tip painted on so you could pretend it was “lit.”
Some days I wonder how I survived my childhood….
In NZ we have Space Man Candy Sticks which have a red tip like a cigarette, but when I was about 7 or 8 (1991) we had Chocolate Cigarettes. They were awesome; little choc sticks coated in a cigarette paper which was so “cool”. I totally loved those things.
I remember these, used to buy them from the local gas station. They said “bubble gum” but they were always rock hard.
No-one thought anything of it when we bought these as kids. We’d go around feeling ‘cool’ and pretending to inhale and blow candy rings… I know people are against them because they ‘encourage children to smoke’, but I think it’s a pity – I absolutely loved these and I have NEVER smoked. No, not a single one. I knew what would happen: my eyes would water, I’d cough, I’d feel sick… I’ll stick to the candy, thanks!
My brother and I used to actually light the candy cigarettes. They tasted amazingly like toasted marshmallows. No, we never did burn down anything. Not from lack of trying, though!!! LOL
Me too! I think I remember it actually “flaring” up when I tried to inhale on the lit stick. LOL
Ah… sweet, chalky memories.
That’s because marshmallows and candy cigarettes have the same basic main ingredients: sugar and cornstarch.
When our kids were born, we bought bubble gum cigars in blue and pink to give out to our nieces and nephews. They had wrappers that said It’s a boy or It’s a girl. Can you imagine? That was only 20+ years ago!
wow i love these (im 12) he wrote a horrible report bout them best candy ever
They still sell those here in Kentucky in cigarette stores (yes, we have special cigarette stores because tobacco is such a big part of the state’s livelihood.)
is it true that you Kentuckians are the only people who will drink a mint julep?
As an ex-smoker who only quit a few years ago, I’ve been in tobacco shops all over the US, so I’m not sure what you mean about them being specific to Kentucky.
Every state I’ve ever been to has special cigarette stores. +laugh+
Actually, our daughters got some in their halloween bags this past October! So… people are STILL handing them out. We used to smoke (this is our fourth month smoke FREE!!!) and the girls always whined for us to stop… then they wonder why we don’t want the eating this candy!
I LOVE THIS STUFF!! Still do, steal it out of the kids Halloween bag every year. I don’t know what it is about the taste of the white chaulky stuff they are made out of, but I can’t get enough of it! Wish that I can buy these in bulk!
If you know where I can find it at, let me know!
http://www.google.com/products?q=candy%20cigarettes
DUDE! I was still eating these like 2 years ago!! They still sell them in KY. When I was really little, though, my grandpa would light the end on fire so I’d feel special, hahahahaaaa….
OMG I have boxes of candy cigarettes. I love those. I am eating them right now lol. Those things are the freaking best
These things are the best sugar high ever. Smash them into powder and sort of mush them into the roof of your mouth.
hahahah
In australia they were called “fags” until the mid-late ninties, when they were changed to “fads” for PC reasons… True nostalgia though, I used to eat the lollies all the time
They still sell them in some places here in PA (the one cafe I go to has them in the cigarette machine!), and I WILL give them to my kids.
We still have these at my work. THe candy ones, not the gum ones. But they’re called Candy STICKS now and they don’t color one end pink/red anymore.
And they sell REDICULOUSLY well. I’m a loser and work at a gas station, and used to work at what used to be a 7-11 and we sold them there too. But people come in and go on about how they hadn’t seen them in YEARS (along with a few other nostalgic candies) and it constantly surprises me that these are hard to find candies to most people. I can’t seem to get away from them!
“We still have these at my work. THe candy ones, not the gum ones. But they’re called Candy STICKS now and they don’t color one end pink/red anymore.”
Aw, but if they’re not called “cigarettes” and if they don’t even color the tip red, then it’s just not the same.
The whole point of it was pretending to smoke. IMO.
Man. I love these things… My sister and I found these two-stick packs when we were younger, and we would just have a blast with them.
It’s better than eating the sticks on the lolipops, though there wasn’t much taste difference.
God these are so wrong.
They we’re fun to eat but, talk about ‘get em while they’re young’.
There used to be this candy store in the mall that still sold them…I used to buy them and sit and chain-’smoke’ them while I did my homework…
lol, the ice cream trucks in my hometown sells them today. They are so tasty!
I used to love these! I started smoking at 14; but I can’t blame these, although I’m sure my folks could- if they’d have known. *grin* Finally quit 25 years later; now I want the candy ones again!
I’m either thinking of the wrong thing or I’m just weird, but I remember LIKING the taste of these things.
I really liked the taste too.
I used to buy San Francisco’s as a joke when I was a kid, they were these chocolate sticks wraped in what looked like rolling paper. Now, I smoke DuMaurier and Number 7’s. I’m a hardcore chain smoker.
Big League Chew
If you are going to bash a product at least take the time to get the product name correct.
And what exactly where you trying to accomplish with the quotation marks “Lance E Sloan”?
I loved the way the chalky ones tasted! They never lasted long enough for me to pretend to smoke with them… I could go through two or three boxes without looking back!
I remmember buying these off the ice cream truck that came through our neighborhood. I liked the taste (chalky candy ones) and my mother hated, HATED them. I used to get them just to annoy her, and I’d walk around pretending I was smoking.
I have roughly 4 packs of the candy ones and a pack of the bubblegum ones…I’m going into school tomorrow with the bubblegum ones and see how fast I get bitched at.
They still totally make these, but they are called candy “Sticks” and dont have the little red tip anymore.
that depends on where you look.
In Denmark, you can still get candy cigarettes in various styles (chocolate/bubblegum/chalky stuff) with and wtihout red tips or sparkling foil.
You can’t get them in supermarkets anymore, but on gas stations and in kiosks, you can
I have moved on to real cigarettes since though
all cigarettes, even these should be put away forever.
These were awesome when I was kid. Now they’re “candy sticks” and no longer have the red tip. They taste just like I remember them though.
A lady stoppedme and a friend in a 5 and dime (remember those?) and demanded we hand them over, lol.
Just down the street from here, the Sherriff stopped us for having alcohol….three cheers for Root Beer in dark glass bottles!
We were so badass smoking and drinking…..
I just saw these in a gas station…and nearly got them. I LOVED them. (Ok, I’m still very fond of them.) Despite my eating them every chance I got, and having a number of smokers in my family, and WORKING for many years with people that smoked…I have never, NEVER had a desire to smoke for real.