香烟过滤嘴用于减少吸烟时入口的烟雾、焦油和燃烧时产生的悬浮粒子，但是无法降低其健康危害。滤嘴也减少烟雾的刺激性，并避免吸烟者吸入烟叶。

1925年，鲍里斯·阿维阿斯在英国邦邹纸业的Ortmann工厂实验，申请了用皱纹纸和纤维素絮等制造香烟过滤嘴的专利。阿维阿斯从1927年起与邦邹的子公司FILTRONIC合作生产香烟过滤嘴，但由于缺乏生产带过滤嘴香烟的机械，市场接受率较低。

1935年，一家英国公司开始开发给香烟装过滤嘴的机器。到1954年，制造商更广泛地引入了该机器，此后医生和研究者们发表了一系列肺部疾病与吸烟可能有关的研究结果，过滤嘴开始受到重视。由于当时过滤嘴香烟被认为“安全”，20世纪60年代起它们占据了市场主导地位。

A Cigarette filter is a component of a cigarette, along with cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter may be made from cellulose acetate fibre, paper or activated charcoal (either as a cavity filter or embedded into the cellulose acetate). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos have also been used in cigarette filters. The acetate and paper modify the particulate smoke phase by particle retention (filtration), and finely divided carbon modifies the gaseous phase (adsorption). Filters can reduce "tar" and nicotine smoke yields up to 50%, with a greater removal rate for other classes of compounds (e.g., phenols), but are ineffective in filtering toxins such as carbon monoxide. Most factory-made cigarettes are equipped with a filter; those who roll their own can buy them from a tobacconist.