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Beginning September 22, 2009, it is illegal to sell cigarettes containing certain characterizing flavors, except menthol, anywhere in the United States.

Many types of tobacco products are made to taste like vanilla, orange, chocolate, cherry, coffee and other flavors. These kinds of flavors make tobacco products especially appealing to kids, and can lead to a lifetime of tobacco addiction.

This new restriction helps, but it doesn't solve the problem.  Tobacco companies continuously come up with new ways to hook young people on tobacco--including new dissolvable tobacco products that look and taste like candy.

Understanding the serious risks associated with flavored tobacco products is a good way to start combatting the tobacco industry's efforts to hook our young people.

Flavored tobacco products:

• Appeal to kids.
  Young people are much more likely to use flavored tobacco products than adults, and tobacco industry documents show that companies have designed flavored cigarettes with kids in mind. For example, one tobacco company suggested creating a honey-flavored cigarette to attract teenagers who like sweet products.
• Disguise the bad taste of tobacco.
  Candy and fruit flavors mask the bad taste of tobacco, making it easier for kids to start using tobacco products. Once they start using one tobacco product, however, they are more likely to experiment with others.
• Are just as addictive as regular tobacco products.
  Scientists have found that many kids think flavored tobacco products are safer and less addictive than regular tobacco products. This is not true. All tobacco products contain nicotine, the primary addictive chemical that makes it so hard to quit using tobacco.
• Have the same harmful health effects as regular tobacco products.
  Flavored cigarettes, cigars and pipes are not less dangerous than regular tobacco products. Smoking any kind of tobacco product increases your risk of developing serious health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema. Tobacco products that you don’t smoke, like snuff and chewing tobacco, have also been shown to cause gum disease and cancers of the mouth.

For more information, visit www.fda.gov.

If you see flavored cigarettes for sale, please report it to the FDA. There are three ways to submit a report:

1. Call the hotline. 1-877-CTP-1373
2. Send us a letter. 9200 Corporate Blvd, Rockville, MD 20850-3229
3. Submit a report online at www.fda.gov/flavoredtobacco.

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