U. S. Patent 4,998,541, assigned to R. J. Reynolds. Cigarettes which yield low levels of visible sidestream smoke upon use employ a paper wrapping material having about 25 weight percent magnesium hydroxide, about 15 weight percent calcium carbonate and about 60 weight percent flax. The wrapping material has an inherent permeability of about 12 CORESTA units and a net permeability of about 100 to about 130 CORESTA units. The wrapping material containing an amount of water soluble alkali metal salt sufficient to provide at least about 35 mg water soluble alkali metal ions per gram of dry base web. The alkali metal salt is such that the wrapping materiel includes a significantly greater level of potassium ions than sodium ions. The cigarettes, when employed, provide cohesive ash which is not highly flaky.