The Tobacco Toll
Find out what
tobacco has done
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he 1998 legal settlement between the states and the tobacco companies prohibited the tobacco companies from taking "any action, directly or indirectly, to target youth... in the advertising, promotion or marketing of tobacco products." However, since the settlement, the tobacco companies have increased their cigarette marketing expenditures by 125 percent to a record $15.1 billion a year, or $41.5 million a day, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Much of this marketing is still targeted at kids.

One of the tobacco industry's most outrageous new tactics is the introduction of candy-flavored cigarettes and smokeless tobacco (View advertising examples):

• R.J. Reynolds - the same company that once marketed cigarettes to kids with a cartoon character, Joe Camel - has launched a series of flavored cigarettes, including a pineapple and coconut-flavored cigarette called "Kauai Kolada" and a citrus-flavored cigarette called "Twista Lime." In November 2004, they introduced Camel "Winter Blends" in flavors including "Winter Warm Toffee" and "Winter MochaMint" (see Campaign statement).
• Brown & Williamson has introduced flavored versions of its Kool cigarettes with names like "Caribbean Chill," "Midnight Berry," "Mocha Taboo" and "Mintrigue."
• The U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company is marketing spit tobacco with flavors including berry blend, mint, wintergreen, apple blend, vanilla and cherry.

Brown & Williamson has also promoted its Kool cigarettes with hip-hop music themes and images that have particular appeal to African-American youth.

There are several ongoing efforts to stop the tobacco companies from continuing to target our children. Several state attorneys general have sued tobacco companies for violating the state settlement's prohibition on targeting kids. In addition, the federal government is pursuing a lawsuit against the tobacco companies that, among other things, seeks to stop tobacco marketing to kids. Congress also needs to pass legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco products, including the authority to ban flavored cigarettes and crack down on other forms of tobacco marketing and sales to kids.

Examples of the most recent tobacco marketing to children follow.

Ads for R.J. Reynolds Flavored Camel Cigarettes (Click the advertisement for a larger view.)

Ads for Brown & Williamson's Kool Cigarettes (Click the advertisement for a larger view.)

Ads for U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. (Click the advertisement for a larger view.)