New Ban on Flavored Cigarettes Aimed at Young Smokers

< Sep. 23, 2009 > -- Cigarettes flavored with vanilla, berry, or chocolate flavors, aimed at enticing young people to smoke, are no longer available in the US.

A new federal law banning fruit- and candy-flavored cigarettes took effect Sept. 22.

The prohibition is part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, legislation that grants the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products. President Barack Obama signed the measure into law June 22.

A Method to Deter Juvenile Smoking

Studies have shown that flavored cigarettes, which have been around for about a decade, disproportionately appeal to America's youth. Thus, health advocates believe that banning the manufacture and sale of kid-friendly flavored cigarettes is a critical step toward deterring young smokers.

"Almost 90 percent of adult smokers start smoking as teenagers. These flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults to become regular smokers," says FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg. "The FDA will utilize regulatory authority to reduce the burden of illness and death caused by tobacco products to enhance our nation's public health."

Gregg Haifley, JD, associate director of federal relations for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in Washington, DC, says, "Banning candy and fruit flavorings in cigarettes can have a significant effect on the reduction of initiation of smoking among youth, as well as reducing the number of youth who go on to regular, daily use."

Working to Prevent a "Future Epidemic"

ACS CAN estimates that 3,500 children a day pick up their first cigarette and 1,000 of them become addicted smokers.

"This is truly a case of an ounce of prevention can prevent a future epidemic," adds Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

"Flavored tobacco products are clearly intended to introduce a new generation of children to tobacco," he says.

However, Myers says he is concerned that some manufacturers are attempting to circumvent the ban by distributing flavored cigarettes marketed as "mini-cigars."

"The very fact that the manufacturers are doing this is a demonstration of the need for the legislation," he says.

In a letter to the tobacco industry last week, the FDA clarified the new law and cautioned that the ban applies to all tobacco products that meet the definition of a cigarette, "even if they are not labeled as 'cigarettes' or are labeled as cigars or as some other product."

Pressure on Market Decreases Demand

In the face of the looming federal prohibition and the threat of state litigation, the flavored cigarette market has significantly retrenched in recent years, health advocates note.

In October 2006, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company agreed to stop marketing cigarettes with candy, fruit, and alcohol flavors under an agreement with attorneys general in 40 states. The company no longer makes blends such as "Twista Lime" or "Kauai Kolada," a pineapple and coconut-flavored cigarette, spokesman David Howard confirms.

"Youth should not smoke; that is a guiding principle of this company," Howard says. "The bottom line is the brands that we produce are marketed for and intended for and sold to adult tobacco consumers."

One tobacco industry expert estimated that flavored cigarettes now account for just 1 percent of the cigarette market.

In addition to banning candy-, fruit- and spice-flavored cigarettes, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act:

• Eliminates the use of the terms "light," "low," and "mild" on tobacco products.
• Authorizes the FDA to create a new Center for Tobacco Products to oversee tobacco regulation in the United States.
• Requires tobacco manufacturers and importers to fully disclose information about ingredients and additives in tobacco products.
• Implements regulations banning youth-focused marketing of tobacco products.
• Requires large, graphic warning labels on the health risks of smoking.

Always consult your physician for more information.

Adolescent Smoking

Diseases caused by smoking kill more than 437,900 people in the United States each year; around 35 percent of these deaths are cardiovascular related. Even with anti-smoking campaigns and medical disclaimers in place, many people continue to smoke or start smoking every year. According to the American Cancer Society, 90 percent of new smokers are children and teenagers, in many cases, replacing the smokers who quit or died prematurely from a smoking-related disease.

Smokers not only have increased risk of lung disease, including lung cancer and emphysema, but also have increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and oral cancer.

Consider the latest statistics available from the American Lung Association:

• Each day, more than 6,000 persons (younger than 18 years old) smoke their first cigarette. More than 2,000 of these will become regular smokers every day.
• At least 4.5 million adolescents (ages 12 to 17 years) are current smokers.
• Among 12th graders, 20 percent smoke cigarettes daily.

In posing health risks on the body's cardiovascular system, smoking:

• causes immediate and long-term increases in blood pressure.
• causes immediate and long-term increases in heart rate.
  reduces cardiac output and coronary blood flow.
• reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the body's tissues.
• changes the properties of blood vessels and blood cells - allowing cholesterol and other fatty substances to build up.
• contributes to higher blood pressure and increased risk of blood clot formation.
  damages blood vessels.
• doubles the risk of ischemic stroke (reduced blood flow to the brain).
• stimulates the blood clotting process.

In addition, smoking has been associated with depression and psychological distress.

Always consult your physician for more information.