USA FDA - CTP - highly popular machine made flavored cigars..

A new cigarillo with lots of flavors, Click to enlarge..
Ballers Choice promotion on You Tube..

July 18, 2010 - Federal ban on flavored cigarettes took effect on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 marking one of the first visible signs of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new authority to regulate tobacco. Unfortunately these cigarettes were not even one percent of the market. The FDA Commissioner, Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, was quick to point out that these flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults to become regular smokers.

FDA Fact Sheet: Flavored tobacco products have become increasing common in the United States. These products containing flavors like vanilla, orange, chocolate, cherry and coffee, are especially attractive to youth. They are considered to be starter products, establishing smoking habits that can lead to a life time of addiction. Like all tobacco products, flavored tobacco products have serious health risks and are not considered safe by the FDA.

Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: "Flavored tobacco products are clearly intended to introduce a new generation of children to tobacco."

Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, a pediatrician and the FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner, while cigarette use by teens and young adults has decreased in recent years, cigar smoking continues to be a "serious and growing health problem." "Youth are twice as likely to report seeing advertising for flavored tobacco products as adults are," said Dr.Sharfstein. "Marketing campaigns for products with sweet candy and fruit flavors can mislead young people into thinking that these products are less addictive and less harmful." By flavoring a product to mask its otherwise appallingly disgusting taste, tobacco companies extend their reach into the marketplace to sustain and often grow their addicted consumer base. (Baltimore, MD bans inexpensive single cigar sales..)

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) published a final tobacco ruling on March 19, 2010 that restricts the sale, distribution, and marketing of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to protect children and adolescents. The new Rule became effective June 22, 2010, and has the force and effect of law. The Rule was suppose to have been updated to reflect present day tobacco consumption. No where in this document does the word 'flavor" even appear.

What is even more upsetting is the CDC PODCAST produced to help raise retailers awareness of the new federal tobacco regulations. The header indicates that retailers can not sell cigarettes or smokeless tobacco to anyone younger than 18 implying it is alright to sell other tobacco products (like cigars) to minors. Here's the header:
This podcast helps raise retailers awareness of the new federal tobacco regulations. Under the new regulations, retailers can not sell cigarettes or smokeless tobacco to anyone younger 18. Created: 7/8/2010 by The CDC Division of News and Electronic Media and the FDA Center for Tobacco Products. Date Released: 7/8/2010. Series Name: Smoking and Tobacco Use. CDC Podcast


Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids: THE RISE OF CIGARS AND CIGAR-SMOKING HARMS

Cigars are often overlooked by legislators and other policymakers who mistakenly believe that cigars are “not that harmful” compared to cigarettes and deserve special treatment. But cigars are addictive and deadly – causing lung cancer, other cancers, heart attacks and more – and they are often marketed in a wide variety of kid-friendly flavors.

Since 1998, small cigars have been the fastest growing segment of the expanding cigar market. Between 1998 and 2006, consumption of large cigars increased by 45 percent, but small cigar consumption increased by 154 percent. Between 2000 and 2006, for example, cigarette consumption declined by 13 percent but cigar consumption increased by more than 37 percent.11 In recent years, the number of kids who try smoking cigars has been close to or greater than those who try cigarettes – and more and more of those cigar initiates are females and youth.

Much of the growing popularity of small cigars and cigarette-like “little cigars” comes from the explosive growth in flavorings, such as candy, fruit, chocolate and various other kid-attracting tastes. While data on the impact of flavored cigars on youth initiation still needs to be collected and analyzed, completed research on flavored cigarettes shows that they are being tried and used primarily by the young. As a cigar retailer commented, “The flavors attract customers.”
Other supporting news briefs we have published:
C-store update: stop sales of single cigars, smokeless tobacco health warnings, etc..;
Part 1: avoidance of nicotine addiction - remove the flavoring from all tobacco products..;
Part 2: avoidance of nicotine addiction - remove the flavoring from all tobacco products..;
C-Store Update - Black & Mild Cigarillos, RJR returns, wraps, Camel SNUS, etc..


Dr. Lawrence Deyton, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products (CTR) has said the primary related mission is preventing young people from initiating tobacco use. But then Dr. Deyton said in a speech at an annual conference of the Tobacco Merchants Association that the FDA had just begun a fact-finding effort to decide whether to add cigars to the list of tobacco products that it will closely regulate. (FDA CTP Director speaks at Tobacco Merchants Association annual conference...)

Wouldn't it been great if on all flavored tobacco products except menthol containing cigarettes would have be banned on Tuesday, September 22, 2009. With menthol with one-third of a $70 billion cigarette business it would take a long period of time to phase out.

Other related news briefs:
Canada - Bill C-32 besides banning flavored tobacco will also further limit advertising..;
Massachusetts - YOUTH - cigars and smokeless tobacco use surpasses cigarettes..;
New York City - ban on flavored tobacco products including cigars becomes law..;
Ohio youth are using cigars and smokeless tobacco products and it is a continuously growing problem...

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