The American Legacy Foundation and three other groups have called for the removal of flavored cigarettes from stores saying the tobacco industry is targeting minority youth with its products, a violation of the Master Settlement Agreement.
Public health leaders said last week that the cigarettes have names that sound like the latest flavored beverage and are featured in hip, stylish packaging.
The groups said the tobacco industry has made its intentions to target minority youth clear in promotions and new product development.
Brown & Williamson hosted hip hop KOOL Mixx DJ competitions in major urban markets including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston, to promote its KOOL menthol cigarettes. The company also manufactures KOOL Smooth Fusions, menthol flavored cigarettes called: Caribbean Chill, Midnight Berry, Mocha Taboo and Mintrigue, the group said.
R.J. Reynolds said the charges are baseless.
“The notion that we should remove product because it’s flavored is absolutely absurd,” said Mark Smith, a spokesman for the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. in Winston Salem, NC, which has merged with Brown & Williamson. “There have been flavored products on the market as long as there have been manufactured cigarettes. To suggest that we are marketing these to kids is absurd, the explosion has been with adult products.”
Smith said the hip-hop events for KOOL target 21-34 year old adults and are held in adult-only venues.
“Adults want choices, adults want flavors, you’ve seen it in alcoholic beverages and the coffee industry,” Smith said. “This is in line with the overall move to flavored adult products.”
R.J. Reynolds has its own flavored line called Camel Exotic Blends, featuring summer flavors Kauai Kolada and Twista Lime. And, Philip Morris has introduced Marlboro Menthol 72mm, a shorter cigarette, sold at a special introductory price. The groups said the products are marketed to youth in the African-American, Hispanic, Asian and other minority communities.
Joining The American Legacy Foundation in the initiative are the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network, the National Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine and the National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention.
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