Big Tobacco sustains efforts to hook children

by STEPHANIE SAUL, The New York Times July 17th, 2008

A new Harvard study claims that the tobacco industry in recent years has manipulated menthol levels in cigarettes to hook youngsters and maintain loyalty among smoking adults. The report could further inflame a controversy over menthol in pending tobacco legislation. The study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, released Wednesday, concludes that manufacturers have marketed brands to what it called a “vulnerable population” of adolescents and young adults by “manipulating sensory elements of cigarettes to promote initiation and dependence.” Young people, the study said, tolerate menthol cigarettes better than harsher nonmenthol cigarettes. In low-level menthol cigarettes, the menthol primarily masks harshness, making it easier to begin smoking. But as smokers become more accustomed to menthol, they prefer stronger menthol sensations, according to the study. “Tobacco companies researched how controlling menthol levels could increase brand sales among specific groups,” the study said. read the entire article: http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=15135

No Comments Yet

No comments yet.

Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI