Cigarettes Blow Up in 4 Smokers’ Faces

Officials with Philip Morris Inc. believe someone added small explosives to Marlboro Reds after they were made, causing the cigarettes to blow up in the faces of four Virginia smokers. Within the past week, four smokers reported explosions that covered them with black powder, and one was blinded temporarily. No one was seriously injured. All four said they had found straw-like rods in their cigarettes, and smoker Ray McGuin said the rod he found appeared to have been filled with gunpowder. Cigarette packs were pulled from stores where officials believe the exploding Marlboros were sold.