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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 3 of 4 The researchers conclude their abstract by stating, “Tobacco companies manipulate the sensory characteristics of cigarettes, including menthol content, thereby, facilitating smoking initiation and nicotine dependence. Menthol brands that have used this strategy have been the most successful in attracting youth and young adult smokers and have grown in popularity.” Featured Whitepaper
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Science DiscussionsThe MSA is currently the largest civil settlement in United States history. The MSA was based on numerous legal actions by various U.S. states against the tobacco industry, primarily for payment of Medicaid costs associated with smoking-related medical conditions. The MSA agreement was originally between the four largest tobacco companies--Philip Morris USA, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., and Lorillard Tobacco Company--and forty-six U.S. states and six U.S. territories. The MSA exempted the tobacco companies from tort liability in exchange for unlimited yearly payments to the states and voluntary restrictions on advertising and marketing of tobacco products. The MSA was signed in November of 1998 by the four tobacco companies, and later added to by over forty other tobacco companies. The states of Florida, Minnesota, Texas and Mississippi had already reached individual agreements with the tobacco industry. The researchers recommend, according to the HSPH press release, that "… to protect the public health, tobacco products should be federally regulated, and additives such as menthol should be included in that regulation." Currently, the U.S. Congressional bill, S.625/H.R. 1108 ("The Kennedy/Cornyn/Waxman/Davis Bill Establishing FDA Regulation of Tobacco"), would provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the authority to regulate additives, such as menthol, in cigarettes. Ameican Lung Association article "What does FDA regulation of tobacco products really mean?" Chief executive officer John R. Seffrin, of the American Cancer Society, states, "Legislation in Congress would give the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products and put an end to tobacco industry practices that prey upon children and blatantly mislead adults. The bill would end the marketing of tobacco products to children, force companies for the first time to disclose the ingredients in their products and allow the FDA to regulate all tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, based on science." [U.S. News and World Report, "Big Tobacco Lures Young Smokers With Menthol Cigarettes: Study"] Harvard professor Gregory N. Connolly, another researcher in the study, states, "This is another example of the cynical behavior of the tobacco industry to hook teens and African Americans to a deadly addiction. This is after the industry told the American public it had changed its marketing practices. The FDA bill provides the vehicle to end the hypocrisy and save the lives of the young and a targeted minority group.” [HSPH press release] Connolly adds, "The product itself stands outside the law, and industry is exploiting that, tailoring their brands to specific groups and integrating that with what marketing they have left and, unfortunately, they're being successful. The outcome should be regulation of menthol by the FDA. It's the one hole." [U.S. News and World Report, U.S. NWR] According to the HSPH press release, “Tobacco use is the largest preventable cause of death globally. According to the National Cancer Institute, in the U.S. smoking-related illnesses account for an estimated 438,000 deaths each year. An estimated 25.9 million men (23.9 percent) and 20.7 million women (18.1 percent) in the U.S. are smokers, according to the American Heart Association.” According to the U.S. NWR article, Connolly states, "If anything, menthol is being used as a candy to help the toxin go down. If we let the industry go ahead and willy-nilly design the product the way they want to, it's going to lead to the premature death of millions and millions of Americans. Our research says we have to go after this." What does the tobacco industry have to say concerning this Harvard report? Please look at page four. |
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