New Flavored Cigarettes Anger Health Activists

By ALLISON FARRELL

The new cigarettes are packed in colorful tins reminiscent of breath mints. They are named "Beach Breezer" and "Margarita Mixer," and they are laced with candy-flavored additives for kids, critics say. They're the new "exotic blend" cigarettes being sold under the Camel label by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

The fruity cigarettes follow other offerings that critics say the tobacco industry have aimed at children, such as lollipops containing nicotine and a tobacco lozenge called Ariva.

"Enough is enough," said Kristin Page-Nei of the American Cancer Society of Montana during a news conference in Helena Thursday. "RJR's new candy-flavored cigarette is one more item in a growing bazaar of products that are designed to deliver a highly addictive drug - nicotine - to children and are unregulated by the (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)."

The Cancer Society and Montana's other leading health organizations, such as the American Heart Association and Montana Pharmacy Association, have sent a letter to the state's congressional delegation urging lawmakers to support federal legislation that would give the FDA a stronger role in regulating tobacco.

Currently, many federal agencies, including the FDA, have some hand in U.S. tobacco regulation.

Under a bill amendment that passed the Senate on July 15, the FDA would be able to stop illegal sales of tobacco products to children, restrict advertising and promotions that appeal to children and require larger and more informative health warnings on tobacco products, among other things.

The House has yet to vote on the measure.

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., did not vote on the amendment July 15 due to an injury he suffered in a July 3 motorcycle accident, but his press secretary said he supports the amendment.

Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., voted against it and Rep. Denny Rehberg hasn't gotten a chance to vote on the amendment yet since it hasn't come before the House.