• The New York Times , Thursday, July 17, 2008 10:15 AM

A study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health claims that tobacco manufacturers have marketed brands to what it calls a "vulnerable population" of young people by "manipulating sensory elements of cigarettes to promote initiation and dependence." The study says young people tolerate menthol cigarettes better than harsher, non-menthol cigarettes, making it easier to begin smoking.

The study concludes that 44% of smokers age 12 to 17 prefer menthol cigarettes, and it urges regulation of the tobacco industry and menthol, in particular. Menthol cigarettes currently make up about 28% of the $70 billion cigarette industry in America.

The study contends that Philip Morris used a two-pronged strategy to compete better in the menthol market by introducing a low-level menthol brand, Marlboro Milds, to compete with cigarettes like Newport, which contains a low level of menthol. At the same time, it says, PM raised the menthol level in its Marlboro Menthol brand by 25% to appeal to adult smokers. A spokesman for Altria, the company that owns Philip Morris, denies that it has adjusted menthol levels as a way to lure young smokers. Lorillard and R.J. Reynolds also dispute the findings.

Read the whole story at The New York Times »