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Science Harvard researchers argue U.S. tobacco companies use menthol as "candy" to entice young smokers
Science Harvard researchers argue U.S. tobacco companies use menthol as "candy" to entice young smokers | Harvard researchers argue U.S. tobacco companies use menthol as "candy" to entice young smokers |
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| by William Atkins | |
| Sunday, 20 July 2008 | |
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Page 2 of 4 Harvard professor Howard K. Koh, one of the researchers states, "For decades, the tobacco industry has carefully manipulated menthol content not only to lure youth but also to lock in lifelong adult customers.” [HSPH press release] Featured Whitepaper
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Science DiscussionsIt continues to state, “The companies determined that products with higher menthol levels and stronger perceived menthol sensation suited long-term smokers of menthol cigarettes while milder brands with lower menthol levels appealed to younger smokers.” The ScienceDaily.com article adds, “The companies then positioned and marketed milder menthol products to appeal primarily to new menthol smokers and also introduced new, milder brands. For example, Marlboro introduced Marlboro Milds in 2000, with a lower menthol concentration while raising the menthol content in Marlboro Menthol, favored by older smokers. Menthol brands with the greatest market share growth among young adults had the lowest menthol levels (Marlboro Milds and Newport) among the brands tested by HSPH.” The researchers stated these statistics and results within their paper: • Menthol cigarette sales in the United States remained steady from 2000 to 2005, despite a 22% decline in overall cigarette packs sold. • The tobacco industry in the United States is deliberating attracting new smokers by “promoting cigarettes with lower menthol content, which were popular with adolescents and young adults, and provided cigarettes with higher menthol content to long-term smokers.” • Newport cigarettes, produced by Lorillard Tobacco Company of Greensboro, North Carolina, had the lowest levels of menthol and Kool cigarettes, produced by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, had the highest levels of menthol, with regards to the data analyzed in the study. • Industry documents specifically showed that tobacco companies researched how menthol levels could target specific age groups in order to increase brand sales. • Specifically, the research by the U.S. tobacco companies showed that products with (1) higher menthol levels and stronger perceived menthol sensation appealed to long-term smokers of menthol cigarettes and (2) lower menthol levels and milder perceived menthol sensation appealed to younger smokers. Consequently, the tobacco industry deliberating introduced, for instance, Marlboro Mild cigarettes with a lower menthol concentration (for younger smokers) and Marlboro Menthol cigarettes with a higher menthol concentration (for older smokers). • The 2006 national survey showed that 43.8% of smokers aged 12 to 17 years; 35.6% of smokers aged 18 to 24 years; and 30.6% of smokers older than 35 years reported that they used menthol cigarettes. • All ages of African-American citizens are more likely to use menthol brands, however, African-American adolescent and young adult smokers used lower-menthol cigarettes while older African-American smokers used higher-menthol varieties. The research concluded that tobacco companies intentionally targeted African Americans based on these statistics. What do the researchers conclude? What is the tobacco industry's response to their study? Please continue. |
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