ADHS
News Release:
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World No Tobacco Day seeks to cut through marketing hype, draw attention to the true health impacts of tobacco use |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
May 30, 2006 |
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Mary Ehlert, ADHS Public Information Officer (602) 364-1201, cell (602) 721-0532
Bill Mayhall, R&R Partners, (480) 317-6082, bill.mayhall@rrpartners.com |
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World No Tobacco Day, sponsored by the World Health Organization and recognized by the Arizona Department of Health Services Tobacco Education and Prevention Program, to be observed on Wednesday, May 31
PHOENIX -- This Wednesday, May 31, the World Health Organization will try to raise awareness worldwide about the changing “forms and disguises” of tobacco products during the 19th observance of World No Tobacco Day.
The theme of this year’s observance, “Tobacco: deadly in any form or disguise,” draws attention to the growing number of products that tobacco companies are marketing to younger or more health-conscious consumers.
“The Arizona Department of Health Services supports the World Health Organization’s efforts to draw attention to these dangerous and deceitful products,” said Tobacco Education and Prevention Program Chief Patricia Tarango. “These products are packaged more attractively, and lead younger or more health-conscious consumers to think they are safer than traditional tobacco products.”
“Light,” “mild” and “low tar” cigarettes – just one of the product lines currently available – disguise themselves as being healthier. In reality, these products offer consumers the illusion of greater safety, but the disguise quickly unravels under scrutiny. While each product may indeed have lower levels of tar and nicotine, studies have repeatedly shown that smokers compensate, thus eliminating any possible benefit.
Filters in low-tar/low-nicotine cigarettes often include vent holes which, when open, allow air to enter and dilute the smoke. However, many smokers cover these holes with their lips and fingers. In contrast, when tested by a machine, the holes are unobstructed, and artificially low measurements of tar and nicotine are obtained. In addition, smokers who switch to low-tar or low-nicotine cigarettes from regular cigarettes tend to inhale more deeply, taking larger, more rapid or more frequent puffs, or they increase the number of cigarettes smoked each day. As a result, smokers cancel out any potential benefit of smoking a low-tar cigarette.
Tobacco products offering fruity or sweet flavoring, such as smokeless tobacco or “chew,” also are being exposed during World No Tobacco Day. Skoal, a product of the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, offers a variety of sweet or fruity flavors, including Mint, Cherry, Spearmint, Berry Blend, Vanilla Blend, Apple Blend and Peach Blend. Red Seal, another offering, comes in a number of varieties including Wintergreen, Mint, and Black Cherry Blend.
There are some newer tobacco products that have become extremely popular with younger consumers. Small, thin, hand-rolled cigarettes known as “bidis” first appeared to gain acceptance among youth in the mid-1990s. Manufactured primarily in India and other Southeast Asian countries, bidis use common dessert flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, cherry and mango to build popularity among younger users.
While bidis may taste sweet, studies indicate their affects are anything but. September 1999 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Report stated that when tested on a standard smoking machine, bidis produced higher levels of carbon monoxide, nicotine and tar than cigarettes.
Kreteks, also known as clove cigarettes, are commonly manufactured in Indonesia and blend tobacco, cloves and other additives. Like bidis, kreteks have developed a following among younger users. A November 2005 CDC fact sheet states: “standardized machine-smoking analyses indicate that kreteks deliver more nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar than conventional cigarettes. There is no evidence to indicate that bidis or kreteks are safe alternatives to conventional cigarettes.”
The Arizona Department of Health Services Tobacco Education and Prevention Program agrees with the World Health Organization: tobacco use in any “form or disguise” is deadly.
“World No Tobacco Day offers the perfect opportunity for tobacco users to learn about the dangers of tobacco use and the help that is available to those who wish to quit,” Tarango said.
For information about quitting and cessation counseling services throughout Arizona, visit
www.ASHline.org or call 1-800-556-6222.
The ADHS Tobacco Education and Prevention Program provides statewide outreach and services including youth prevention education, community outreach, worksite education, healthcare provider training and cessation services. The Tobacco Education and Prevention Program provided cessation services to more than 20,000 people in the last three years and thousands have quit using tobacco as a result of their support and services.
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Additional materials for media including Cessation Tips and Fast Facts about health improvements for a tobacco user’s body when they quit are available at
www.ashline.org
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