Dr. Lawrence R. Deyton, director of the Federal Drug Administration's (FDA's) Center for Tobacco Products, cites recent research studies which have found that 17-year-old smokers are three times as likely to use flavored cigarettes as smokers over the age of 25. "Candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults to become regular tobacco users," he said.
The FDA also found that almost 90 percent of adult smokers start smoking as teenagers, and that the new ban may help stop the more than 3,600 young people who start smoking each day.
The ban does not apply to menthol-flavored cigarettes or flavored cigars, however the FDA is studying these products.
The FDA and other federal authorities are investigating efforts by makers of flavored cigarettes to side-step the new ban by making superficial changes to their products. In particular, the nation's top distributor of clove cigarettes -- California-based company Kretek International Inc. -- began rolling its clove cigarettes in tobacco rather than paper, making them more like small-sized cigars.
(Source: www.huffingtonpost.com)
Labels: cigarettes, teen smoking, smoking
Posted By: Aspen Education Group