Teens fall for tobacco ads

A survey of more than 3 500 US teens found that 78 percent of them usually smoked one of the three brands: 50 percent preferred Marlboro, 14 percent Newport, and 14 percent Camel, the foundation said in a prepared statement.

Nearly 40 percent of respondents said they usually smoked cigarettes labelled as "light," "ultra-light", or "mild." The proportion increased as youth grew older, with 18 percent of 13- to 15-year-olds saying they preferred light brands, compared with 32 percent of smokers aged 16 to 18.

Nearly 37 percent of youth surveyed said they smoked menthol cigarettes, and about 11 percent said they had tried brands flavoured with candy and other non-menthol tastes, the foundation said.

"This survey shows us that the tobacco industry's effective marketing drives the youth’s decisions to smoke specific cigarettes," said the statement from the foundation, which was created as a result of the 1998 settlement between US tobacco firms and the attorneys general of 46 states. – (HealthDayNews)

June 2007