 An Australian government quantitative survey of RYO smokers to "Determine Impact of Plain Packaging" found that "White Ox" tobacco was perceived by this cohort as being "extremely low appeal as a product", that was associated with "prison populations and homeless people"

Its name is shared with the name of the original store "De Witte Os" (English translation, 'The White Ox'), in Joure, the Netherlands opened in 1753 by Egbert Douwes and his wife Akke Thysses, founders of the Douwe Egberts company.Prior to the prison smoking ban in August 2015, White Ox tobacco was the standard issue tobacco in the state of N.S.W.Australia prisons , where it was colloquially known as "Boob Shit" or "Boob Weed."