Once the function of filters evolved beyond their use purely as mouthpieces, cigarette filters evolved into smoke particle reduction mechanisms to reduce tar and nicotine inhalation.
The three main functions of cigarette filters include direct interception, inertial compaction, and diffusion sedimentation, the most common being direct interception filters. Filtration is a complex process, which means that after the tar droplets are separated from the smoke, they adhere to the surface of the filter material when they reach it.