Chocolate Smokes?!?!?

By: Beth Kline, CIS Project Manager
bethkline@cis-partners.com

As of September 22, 2009, it is now illegal to sell many candy and fruit flavored tobacco products anywhere in the United States.

I have never smoked a cigarette in my life, except when my Dad forced me to smoke an entire one right in front of him at the age of 12. What a smart man! I have never touched another cigarette again nor have I had any desire to. Since I don’t smoke and pay no attention to cigarette commercials or marketing, it was surprising to me to hear that flavored cigarettes exist and are being marketed with a bent toward kids. WHAT?!? Flavors such as vanilla, orange, chocolate and cherry – definite kid favorites – are incorporated into tobacco products, making these products that much more appealing to children.

This is really ingenious of the tobacco industry – if they can hide the DISGUSTING flavor of the tobacco and get kids hooked on its addictive properties – this is potential guaranteed revenue over many lifetimes. In 2004, 17-year-old smokers were more than three times as likely as those over the age of 25 to smoke flavored cigarettes, and they viewed flavored cigarettes as safer. (1)

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. An important way to reduce the death and disease caused by smoking is to prevent children and adolescents from starting to smoke. (2) Fortunately, the FDA now has the new authority to take a stand against these products in the U.S. HOORAY! This is great news and hopefully will save many young people from a lifetime of battling not only a terrible habit, but potential healthcare issues that could lead to a much shorter life.

Sources:
(1) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/health/policy/23fda.html
(2) http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/FlavoredTobacco/ucm183199.htm
(3) http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/FlavoredTobacco/default.htm