Newspaper Page Text
Flashy new cigarettes blamed
for hooking minority youth
By DANIEL YEE
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — The
colorful images on the boxes
of Kool cigarettes depict the
urban nighdife. On one, a
disc jockey scratches a record.
On another, people are cap
tured dancing mid-bounce.
Other trendy cigarette
brands feature a blend of
menthol tobacco with flavors
like berry, mocha, coconut or
lime.
The latest cigarette-market
ing efforts have caught the
attention of health officials
and anti-tobacco activists,
who are accusing tobacco
companies of using hip-hop
images and attractive flavors
to seduce minority youth into
smoking,
“What adult that you know
prefers a tropical or berry-fla
vored cigarette?” asked Sherri
Watson Hyde, executive
director of the National
African-American Tobacco
Prevention Network. “One
wonders if we're talking about
a cigarette or Lifesavers or
Now & Later.”
Health officials gathered
Tuesday, August 17 in Adanta
to voice “our opposition to
the attempts of the tobacco
industry to seduce our youth
using the appeal of hip-hop
culture,” said Dr. James
TR TS
Best
Hospitals
Gavin 111, president of More
house School of Medicine.
Representatives of ' the
American Legacy Founda
tion, the National African-
American Tobacco Preven
tion Network, the National
Latino Council on Alcohol
and Tobacco Prevention, and
Morchouse called for ciga
rette makers to remove the
products from stores, espe
cially in minority communi
ties.
The new Kool Mixx, Kool
Smooth Fusion and Camel
Exotic Blends — all from the
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. -
and Philip Morris' Marlboro
Menthol 72mm are being
heavily marketed to youth in
black, Hispanic and other
minority communities, the
activists said.
They accused tobacco com
panies of using flavored ciga
rettes to draw children who
are not used to the taste of a
regular cigarette.
“Is hard to believe that
these sweet-tasting products
are not targeted to youth,”
llowa attorney general Tom
Miller said in a prepared
statement. “That the tobacco
companies can say otherwise
with a straight face is down
right appalling.”
Kool ads have appeared in
black magazines such as
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‘ U.S.News & World Report
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for the diagnosis and treatment of hormonal disorders such as diabetes and
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AUGUSTA FOCUS
Ebony, Essence and Vibe,
which included in its April
issue a CD-ROM that blend
ed the Kool Mixx brand with
hip-hop music.
Kool's marketing campaign
is being fought in several
states. Maryland, New York
and Illinois have lawsuits
pending against Brown &
Williamson, which merged
last month with RJ.
Reynolds Tobacco Co., for its
Kool Mixx ad campaign.
Chicago-area activists protest
ed a Kool-sponsored DJ com
petition in May.
Tobacco companies said
Tuesday, August 17 they
would not pull the cigarettes
from store shelves because
they have done nothing
wrong,. They say they remain
in compliance with their
1998 settlement with state
attorneys general, which pro
hibits the marketing of tobac
co products to youth.
The Kool ads are aimed at
people ages 21 to 34, not chil
dren, and the average Kool
brand smoker is white and 45
years old, said Reynolds
spokesman Mark Smith. The
brands are offered in stores
across the country, not just
certain communities or
neighborhoods.
“The urban experience is
what these brands are aiming
toward —the consumers of
the products reflect that,”
Smith said. “We've been
doing the hip-hop stuff for six
years. Most consumer goods
companies are doing the same
thing.”
The problem is that chil
dren, especially teenagers,
aspire to appear three to four
years older than they actually
are and pay attention to older
peoples dress, lifestyle and
behaviors, said Terry
Pechanek, associate director
of science for the Centers for
Disease Control and Preven
tion’s Office on Smoking and
Health.
Health officials have been
working to reduce the num
ber of child smokers because
four out of every five smok
ers say they started before
age 18. Smoking, the top
cause of preventable death in
the country, kills about
440,000 people a year,
including 45,000 blacks,
through heart disease, stroke
and cancers.
“If our youth never started
smoking, these numbers
would dramatically decline,”
said Dr. David Satcher, a
former U.S. Surgeon Gener
al and the director of the
National Center for Primary
Care at Morehouse School
of Medicine.
MCG childrens program
holds Healing Heats’
family forum
The MCG Children’s
Heart Program Volunteer
Council will hold “Healing
Hearts”, Family Forum on
August 28, from 8:30 a.m.
to 2 p.m. at the MCG
Children’s Medical Center
First Floor Conference
Center.
Health care professionals
and the families of children
with heart disease will
explore the latest medical
technology and the newest
techniques for coping with
physical, developmental
and learning disabilities.
Pediatric ' cardiologists, an
occupational therapist, a
developmental pediatrician
and a family services spe
cialist comprise the forum’s
panel of experts.
A complimentary light
breakfast and lunch will be
provided for each regis
trant. Seating is limited.
For registration and infor
mation, call 706-721-0575
or go to
http://www.mcghealth.org
/cmc/Childrens_Heart_Pr
ogram/child_heart_pro
gramo4.htm MCG Health
System is composed of
three separate organiza
tions — MCG Health, Inc.
and the clinical services
offered by the faculty
employees of the Medical
sl
MCG
Health System
Medical College of Georgla Health System, Augusta GA
August 26, 20@
College of Georgia and the
members of the Physicians
Practice Group. The
physicians of MCG Health
System are community
physicians and faculty
employees of the Medical
College of Georgia and the
Physicians Practice Group,
not employees of MCG
Health Inc. MCG Health,
Inc. is a not-for-profit cor
poration operating the
MCG * Medical Center,
MCG Children’ s Medical
Center, the MCG Sports
Medicine Center, MCG
Ambulatory Care Center,
the Georgia Radiation
Therapy Center and relat
ed clinical facilities and
servicess. MCG Health,
Inc. was formed to support
the research and education
mission of the Medical
College of Georgia and to
build the economic growth
of the CSRA, the state of
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by providing an environ
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Georgia and the Physicians
Practice Group and com
munity physicians to deliv
er the highest level of pri
mary and specialty health
care. For more informa
tion, please visit
www.MCGHealth.org.
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