Tobacco Products and Children

Do you smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco? If yes, then you know how addicting nicotine can be. But do you also know that tobacco is harmful? In fact, “tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States.” And, “between 1964 and 2004, cigarette smoking caused an estimated 12 million deaths, including 4.1 million deaths from cancer, and 5.5 million deaths from cardiovascular diseases.”

These statistics, provided by the educational website Above the Influence, show the devastating effects of tobacco use on our population. Think about it. Don’t we all know someone who died from lung cancer, or someone who can’t work because of emphysema – all because of previous tobacco use?

So, not only is tobacco use addicting, it has been proven to be unhealthy. For these reasons, many health advocates stress the fact that children should not start smoking or chewing. If kids can stay away from tobacco products when young, they have a better chance of growing up to lead healthy, tobacco-free lives.

There remains one obstacle to keeping children away from cigarettes and chew – big tobacco. Tobacco companies need new smokers (and those who chew) in order to stay in business. You may wonder if they really target children with their products, but it sure seems as if they do – if you take into consideration the following two tactics:

1. They manufacture tobacco products that look like candy.

How can tobacco companies hook young users? They manufacture tobacco products that look like candy, of course! For example, one such product, tobacco sticks, look like toothpicks covered in chocolate. Produced by Skoal and Marlboro, the sticks appeal to a child’s curiosity and love of sweets. Another product, Camel Snus, comes in an attractive tin, which looks much like breath mints. The same can be said for Camel Orbs, tobacco pellets which actually look like Tic Tacs. Equating tobacco with breath mints promotes an image of safety that is untrue. And using flavors in tobacco products that appeal to children, such as the cinnamon and mint in Orbs, is asking for trouble.

2. They promote smokeless (no-spit) tobacco.

Outlined in a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, adults should be worried about smokeless tobacco use and children. In the article it states, “According to a 2010 survey by Monitoring the Future, an annual nationwide study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 8.5% of 12th-graders said they had used a smokeless tobacco product in the last 30 days compared with 6.7% in 2003.”

The article provides many reasons why smokeless tobacco appeals to children, but one of the main ones is that kids can easily hide the product from parents/guardians. In addition, the product may appeal to females. Matthew Myers, president of the Washington-based anti-smoking group Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, states that “Traditionally, girls have not used smokeless tobacco products. But (one) product does not have a substantial smell or require spitting. There is a real concern that this product will appeal to adolescent girls, particularly those concerned about weight” (Los Angeles Times, July 2011).

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