Have You Seen Flavored Tobacco Products for Sale?

On September 22, 2009, the FDA ban on clove, candy and fruit-flavored cigarettes went into effect. This ban was mandated by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that created the new FDA Center on Tobacco Products, and is a long overdue step to end the tobacco industry’s recruitment of youth as “replacement smokers” by appealing to them with flavored products. It makes it illegal to manufacture, distribute, sell or import any cigarette (including roll-your-own tobacco and rolling papers) containing herb, spice or fruit flavors. The only flavors still allowed for cigarettes are menthol and tobacco.

The ban of flavored cigarettes is an important opportunity for you to provide timely and useful information to the FDA. Reporting violations of the law is crucial and will allow FDA to successfully enforce the Act. In addition, any information you provide regarding other flavored tobacco products will assist FDA as it examines options for regulating these products. A collection of sample images of what you can look for is available at: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/campaign/flavoredcigaretteban_reference_112009.pdf.

Some tobacco companies are attempting to get around the ban by selling flavored cigarettes but labeling them as “little cigars.” These “little cigars” are really cigarettes in disguise and are also subject to the flavor ban.

In addition, the FDA is empowered by the new law to take action on flavored tobacco products other than cigarettes, such as flavored cigars and flavored smokeless tobacco, but it needs proof of how these products are appealing to youth in order to assert that authority.

If you are aware of continued sales of flavored cigarettes and/or roll-your-own tobacco and rolling papers, it is important to let the FDA know! Call or email me to get the reporting information that is required to document such sales.

Or you can contact the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids directly via Victoria Almquist at valmquist@tobaccofreekids.org.

Incidentally, this would be a great topic for discussion/activity with your youth. They usually love "enforcement" type projects!