• The New York Times, Thursday, February 15, 2007 1 PM

R. J. Reynolds is introducing a new variety of Camel cigarettes that is targeted to women smokers. Called Camel No. 9, it will come in both regular and menthol flavors.

The brand signals its intended buyers with subtle cues, like its colors, such as hot-pink fuchsia and a minty-green teal, its "Light and Luscious" slogan and the flowers that surround the packs in magazine ads.

R. J. Reynolds sells two other brands, Capri and Misty, aimed at women. A tiny competitor, the Vector Group, sells Eve, and the principal rival to Reynolds, the Altria Group, pioneered the category in 1968 with Virginia Slims.

Critics decry the new Camel as yet another effort to single out women for smoking pitches. "More women die of lung cancer than breast cancer, by a wide margin," says Cheryl G. Healton, president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation in Washington.

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