WASHINGTON, D.C. -- August 27, 2012 -- Nearly 60 percent of young adult cigar smokers smoke flavored cigars, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health. The findings are included in an article, "Flavored Cigar Smoking Among U.S. Adults: Findings from the 2009 2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey," featured in the journal, Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
The report details that 42.9 percent of adult cigar smokers use flavored cigars, and that the rate of usage jumps by about a third, to 57 percent of cigar smokers aged 18-24.
A statement from Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) follows:
"These findings provide yet more evidence that the tobacco industry continues to do whatever it takes to addict people to its deadly products. In response to tough new federal regulation of tobacco, cigar companies are now marketing cigarillos and other cigarette-like products with many of the same flavors that are now banned in cigarettes. These flavors aren 't just enticing to kids -- the CDC 's findings show they are enticing to young adults as well, and because they are taxed at significantly lower rates than cigarettes, they sell for as little as 7 cents apiece.
"If that were not enough, bills in the U.S. House and Senate would altogether remove many cigars from regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which passed Congress with strong, bipartisan support in 2009, empowers the FDA to apply its scientific expertise to the regulation of all tobacco products, including cigars.
"The cigar industry is trying to slither out from under FDA oversight with unfounded and misleading claims about the economic impact of regulation. If Congress were to exempt cigars from FDA regulation, it would return cigar manufacturers to their glory days when they had free reign to market the only consumer products that kill when used as directed.
"Products classified as cigars are especially appealing because they are often far less expensive than cigarettes, which are subject to higher taxes that raise their price and discourage their use. Yet cigars include the same cancer-causing constituents as cigarettes. The tax disparity on tobacco products is undercutting our ability to effectively reduce tobacco use and lower health care costs. ACS CAN supports several current federal bills and state efforts to bring taxes on cigars and other tobacco products into parity with cigarette taxes measures that are proven to reduce tobacco use and save lives."
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Steven Weiss or Lauren Walens
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Phone: (202) 661-5763 or (202) 661-5711
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]