A new American Lung Association report, Alcohol-Flavored Cigarettes - Continuing the Flavored Cigarette Trend, shows that the tobacco industry continues to target the nation's youth and young adults with their deadly products using underhanded marketing tactics.
"Unfortunately, tobacco products remain virtually unregulated in the United States," said John L. Kirkwood, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. "Each day more than 4,000 kids under 18 try their first cigarette, and more than 1,500 other kids under 18 become established daily smokers."
R.J. Reynolds in particular has been aggressively targeting the youth and young adult market with several recent marketing campaigns that seek to link smoking with alcohol use, gambling and rebellious behavior.
The report details how R.J. Reynolds recently sold alcohol-flavored cigarettes as limited edition brands of an ongoing line of flavored cigarettes called Camel Exotic Blends. Included were packs of cigarettes with names such as Screwdriver Slots, SnakeEyes Scotch and Blackjack Gin. These new flavored cigarettes were sold as part of a larger promotional campaign called Camel Casino, which sought to link smoking with alcohol use and gambling. The promotional campaign ran from July 2005 through early 2006. Although R.J. Reynolds claimed these new cigarettes were marketed towards young adults, their appeal to youth who are beginning to experiment with alcohol is obvious.
"It's appalling that the tobacco industry is allowed to continue marketing and selling flavored cigarettes," said Kirkwood. "The industry's goal is obvious: To get young people hooked on smoking. Flavored cigarettes, like regular cigarettes, cause lung cancer and lung disease and should be banned for the sake of our children."