Patent ID: 8499767

Claim:
A smoking article comprising: a rod of smokable material circumscribed by a rod wrapper; a filter comprising at least one filter segment circumscribed by a filter wrapper, wherein the rod of smokable material and the filter are attached to one another by tipping paper; and a tear ribbon between the filter segment and the tipping paper, wherein the tear ribbon is affixed to at least one of the tipping paper and the filter wrapper, wherein the tear ribbon is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article, wherein the tear ribbon is operable to longitudinally rupture the tipping paper and the filter wrapper as the tear ribbon separates from the at least one of the tipping paper and the filter wrapper and wherein the tear ribbon extends the entire length of the filter wrapper, the filter wrapper comprising at least one line of perforation proximate the tear ribbon and the filter comprising at least one circumferential row of perforations to ventilate mainstream smoke.