Cigarette Companies Use Color, Rather than Words, To Convey Message

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is being given new authority to regulate the manufacturing and marketing of tobacco, after President Obama signed the '”Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act" into law last June. Starting next summer, large labels, warning about the health risks associated with smoking, must cover at least half of the front and back of cigarette packs. Certain flavored cigarettes will also be banned, and words like 'light' and 'mild' will no longer be allowed. The FDA cites studies that show those words give consumers a false sense that a ‘light’ or ‘mild’ cigarette is less harmful or may be easier to quit.
A few brands have already dropped those terms from their packaging. What used to be Pall Mall full flavor, light, and ultra light cigarettes, are now called ‘Red’, ‘Blue’ and ‘Orange’. Salem now labels their cigarettes ‘Box’, ‘Gold Box’, and ‘Silver Box’, and use an increasingly light shade of green. While those words may not seem to mean much, the new packaging is still getting a message across.
Even without words like 'light' on the packaging, many of the people we showed the new packaging to still perceived the lighter or brighter colors to be lower in nicotine, tar, or tobacco, and less harmful.
"Certain colors do elicit certain responses, feelings, emotions", said Tom Neal, Director of Brand Development at Kinziegreen in Wausau. He says with the tobacco already so heavily regulated, they're using the methods that are allowed as effectively as possible. "As the color scheme goes from darker towards lighter, you're seeing they're trying to say to the consumer the things they can't really say with words."
So while cigarette companies won't be able to say 'mild', 'light', or 'ultra-light', by using a cool, calming blue, an energetic orange, or even a natural, healthy light green, would-be customers are getting the message. That's something that has health officials concerned.
"They're trying to make the consumer believe that they are getting a healthier product as a result of the packaging.", said Renee Trowbridge, a public health educator for Marathon County. "They are doing a very good job of making it appealing."
Trowbridge works with teens who have been using tobacco, and says they're more affected by packaging and advertising than most consumers. She says that's something the tobacco companies are well aware of. "Their main strategy is to continue to make and market a product that appeals to young people", she said. "We know about 90 percent of people who smoke started before the age of 18."
Neal speculates that the regulations against the tobacco industry will continue to tighten. But he believes tobacco companies will simply continue to evolve their marketing to make their product appealing. "The advertisers are going to see what they can do how far they can push and what's available to them."
Trowbridge says the latest restrictions are a step in the right direction, but says until cigarettes stop appearing in magazines, films, and other places where young eyes see them, tobacco products will continue to find new consumers. "I think even if you did generic black and white packaging on cigarettes you are still going to have a product that will appeal to our young people", she said.

Crushing Cigarettes In A Virtual Reality Environment Reduces Tobacco Addiction

ScienceDaily (Oct. 28, 2009) — Smokers who crushed computer-simulated cigarettes as part of a psychosocial treatment program in a virtual reality environment had significantly reduced nicotine dependence and higher rates of tobacco abstinence than smokers participating in the same program who grasped a computer-simulated ball, according to a study described in the current issue of CyberPsychology and Behavior.Benoit Girard, MD, Vincent Turcotte, and Bruno Girard, MBA, from the GRAP Occupational Psychology Clinic (Quebec, Canada), and Stéphane Bouchard, PhD, from the University of Quebec in Gatineau, randomly assigned 91 smokers enrolled in a 12-week anti-smoking support program to one of two treatment groups. In a computer-generated virtual reality environment, one group simulated crushing virtual cigarettes, while the other group grasped virtual balls during 4 weekly sessions.
The findings demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in nicotine addiction among the smokers in the cigarette-crushing group versus those in the ball-grasping group. Also, at week 12 of the program, the smoking abstinence rate was significantly higher for the cigarette-crushing group (15%) compared to the ball-grasping group (2%).
Other notable findings include the following: smokers who crushed virtual cigarettes tended to stay in the treatment program longer (average time to drop-out > 8 weeks) than the ball-grasping group (< 6 weeks). At the 6-month follow-up, 39% of the cigarette crushers reported not smoking during the previous week, compared to 20% of the ball graspers.
"It is important to note that this study increased treatment retention. All too often individuals drop out of treatment prior to completion. It will be interesting now to go further and compare this to other popular treatments such as the nicotine patch," says Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA, Editor-in-Chief of CyberPsychology and Behavior, from the Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, CA.

A call to arms for tobacco store owners

Let us consider the case of a cigar store owner. No food is served. No alcohol is available. The only products are cigars, tobacco products and accessories. Because no alcohol is served, it doesn't qualify for status as "Specialty Tobacco Bar."
Let us also assume that this establishment is owned by a retiree, the sole employee. He started this store because of his love of cigars. He has become something of an expert and customers often seek out his advice, much in the way a wine enthusiast may seek the opinion of a sommelier.
Under the expanded ban he will not be allowed to sample a new cigar in his own store in order to provide advice for his customers.
Who is being harmed and needs to be protected by the expanded ban? Does he not have the right to run his business to the best of his ability?
I would urge all tobacco store owners to call their City-County Council member and urge him or her to vote against Proposal 371.

Man arrested for stealing $6K of cigarettes and beer

A wanted Georgia man was arrested by Gainesville police for stealing more than $6,000 worth of cigarettes and Steel Reserve beer from a Chevron early Wednesday morning.
After leaving the Chevron, 3845 NE 15th St., 41-year-old Oscar Tellez drove east and was peeking inside the Citgo at 1606 NW 13th St. from his truck when police spotted him, GPD spokesman Keith Kameg said.
When officer Ariel Lugo approached Tellez, he jumped into his truck and drove away.
Police dog K-9 Justice found Tellez hiding at the CVS construction site on Northwest 16th Avenue, Kameg said.
Entering a construction site without permission is a felony offense.
"When you refuse to come out of a situation and we give you ample warning, we will send our dogs out 100 percent of the time," Kameg said.
Police found the stolen items from the Chevron inside Tellez's truck, which was stolen in Georgia.
According to Kameg, there have been similar gas station thefts, which police believe may be connected to Tellez and are under investigation.
Tellez was charged with grand theft auto, loitering and prowling, trespassing on construction site, fleeing and attempting to elude, resisting arrest without violence and driving without a license.

Fears smoking bans could inflame tensions in overcrowded WA prisons

Inmates at WA's maximum security Hakea Prison will be banned from smoking in their cells from Monday - prompting fears from prison officers it could further increase tensions in the State's overcrowded jails.
As part of the Department of Corrective Services' smoking reduction policy, inmates at Hakea will be banned from smoking in their cells during the day from next week, according to John Welch, secretary of the WA Prison Officers Union.
Mr Welch said while the union agreed that passive smoking in prisons was potentially harmful to his members, of more immediate concern was the effect a tobacco ban could have on the mood of already tense inmates.
"They will have to wait until they get outside of the units before they will be able to smoke again.
"In a broad sense our members don’t like passive smoking - but when you are really overcrowded ... and in the middle of all this heat it is very difficult for the staff to manage.
"Hakea is at about 140 per cent capacity, Casuarina is at nearly 180 per cent - it is very difficult in that environment to manage such an enormous cultural change - and we are very sensitive how we are going to be able to manage it safely."
A statement from the Department of Corrective Services confirmed Hakea had begun stage one of a smoking reduction process, which involves reducing smoking in cells during daylight hours.
But Custodial Operations Assistant Commissioner Jon Peach said he was "keenly aware" of pressures on prison officers - and would be monitoring the situation.
"The Department remains keenly aware of current pressures on the prison system and will monitor the process carefully. Staff safety remains a priority," Mr Peach said.
According to the Department of Corrective Services website, the intention had been for all enclosed areas in WA prisons, including cells and units, to become smoke-free on June 30 this year, in an attempt to "realign the prison environment with community standards on smoking".
Mr Welch said that because of fears over the effect the ban would have on inmates, the policy had been more gradually introduced, but it would eventually become universal.
"80 per cent of inmates smoke, so it is not like the rest of society. Imagine trying to ban smoking in pubs in the 1950s," Mr Welch said.
"It was intended some months ago that there would be a much more aggressive approach to bringing these smoking bans in.
"There does seem to be a push from the Department to continue, despite the levels of overcrowding.
"The proposal is that eventually we will roll to a situation where people are only going to be able to smoke outside, and then ultimately we will move to a no smoking environment - and we have great fears about that."
According to the Department, prisoners who continue to breach the new rules on smoking will lose privileges. But they will be given free Nicotine Replacement Therapy treatment, as will staff.
But Mr Welch said that making cigarettes effectively contraband - when they are currently used as currency - could be a nightmare to police.
"The reality is that is always hard to stop contraband coming into prisons, so it will be very difficult if we then make tobacco a further contraband," Mr Welch said.
"It is very difficult when you have 4750 prisoners in the system designed for 3350 to introduce a ban of this sort."

MPs approve cigarette vending ban

The removal of cigarettes from public display is a step closer after MPs said vending machines should be banned and shops should keep stocks out of sight.
MPs supported a backbench amendment to outlaw cigarette vending machines in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own separate bill.
The vending machine amendment to the government's Health Bill was passed by the Commons without going to a vote.
The bill passed its third reading and will now go before the House of Lords.
The vending machine ban was proposed by the former Labour minister Ian McCartney, who said it would "change history".Mr McCartney said vending machines gave young children access to cigarettes and condemned them as an "outrageous loophole in our country's safeguards" against tobacco.
He said tobacco was still "the only product in Britain that can be sold legally, which routinely kills and injures its customers".
The Conservatives had questioned the wisdom of banning shops from putting cigarettes on public display during a recession, when many smaller retailers were suffering from a lack of business. Newsagents say the proposal could cost them £250m in lost sales.
'Completely false'
Tory backbencher Philip Davies said: "This is the nanny state gone mad. On every conceivable level this particular ban is wrong.
"It goes against the principle of individual responsibility, free choice and people making their own decisions."
Mr Davies said it was "completely false" to suggest people would be more likely to buy cigarettes because they were displayed in shops.
He argued: "As someone who was a retailer for 12 years, can I tell you that tobacco is not an impulse purchase in the same way that cream cakes are."
But health minister Gillian Merron said the ban would help to stop new generations taking up smoking.
She said: "The tobacco industry constantly recruits young people to replace those who give up smoking or die each year.
"We are of course aware of how the current economic climate is affecting small business which is why we will not commence the effect of this legislation until 2011 for larger stores and 2013 for smaller shops."
Ms Merron said she was opposed to an outright ban on vending machines but the Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, said he would not oppose Mr McCartney's measure in the Lords.
He said: "The remaining amendments that have been voted through go over to the other place (the Lords) in a well-drafted and legally workable form.
"I will watch with interest how his proposals are received in another place but the government will not seek to overturn them," he added.
The chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), Deborah Arnott, said the vending machine ban had "made a strong Bill even stronger".
The Scottish Parliament is considering a similar ban on vending machines and public displays of tobacco.

Man uses truck to break in store and steal cigarettes

SPOKANE -- Police and deputies are searching for a man who used a truck to break into a gas station to steal cigarettes and money Thursday morning.They say the man first tried to use the fire extinguisher to break in the Conoco on Geiger Blvd., but when it didn't work he used a silver Dodge Dakota to smash through the entrance.
The owners of the store tell us the man stole more than 100 packs of cigarettes and whatever money was left there overnight.
The crash into the store set off an alarm, then the owners were called. The owners tell us this is the fourth time they've had damage done to their building by people trying to steal from them.
The owners have released their security camera video to us, which shows the whole incident. The suspect was dressed in all black, including a face mask and got away in that silver truck.

Gas station cigarettes, cash and liquor taken

Cash, cigarettes and bottles of liquor were taken during an armed robbery at a gas station in Northwest Peoria early Tuesday, police said.
An employee told police he was in a back office at Huck's, 3819 W. War Memorial Drive, about 3:40 a.m. when he heard the front bell go off. When he came out to see who had walked in, he was met by a man with a mask partially covering his face, according to a police report.
The 23-year-old employee said the man pointed a gun at him, ordered him to the front and then emptied the cash drawer. The man also took money from an unlocked safe, several packs of cigarettes and four bottles of liquor.
The robber put a gun to the employee's head and ordered him to take the tape out of the store's video surveillance system, but he didn't know how to use the digital system, he told police.
When the gunman apparently thought he heard someone entering the store, he took the employee with him out the back door and made him lie down, then ran toward the tree line east of the store.

Higher Cost A Deterrent To Smoking

Connecticut's decision to hike the state cigarette tax to $3 per pack was a no-brainer. The new rate, effective on Oct. 1, will raise millions in urgently needed state revenue, will convince more people to quit smoking and will slash health care costs associated with smoking-related illnesses.
One of the greatest benefits is that more teenagers will not take up the dirty habit in the first place. The national Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids estimates that Connecticut's $1-per-pack tax increase will deter 24,000 youths from becoming addicted smokers, and will convince 10,000 adults to quit. The group also projects $520 million in health care savings. These are significant numbers.
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in Connecticut, claiming 4,700 lives each year and costing the state $1.63 billion annually in health care bills, the group says.
State officials estimate the higher tax will bring in nearly an extra $100 million in revenue this fiscal year, money desperately needed to support essential services.
Now that Connecticut has shown leadership by boosting the cigarette tax rate, it ought to take the next logical step and devote more dollars to smoking cessation programs. Nicotine is one of the toughest addictions to overcome, but with help smokers can kick the deadly habit.
Connecticut for years has allocated a pittance to smoking prevention and cessation efforts. Currently, the state spends less than 2 percent of $447 million in tobacco-generated revenue for these programs, far below what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends.
Connecticut can do better. Lawmakers who saw the wisdom of raising taxes on cigarettes ought to demand that some of that new revenue be used to support effective smoking cessation programs.

Schoolgirl's TV bid to stop mum smoking

SCHOOLGIRL Molly Elvin hopes to persuade her mum to quit smoking for good after being filmed for a hard-hitting new NHS campaign.
The eight-year-old from Hammersmith put herself up for the national TV and poster campaign after going through the trauma of seeing her grandmother die of smoking-related cancer two years ago.
Now short ads of Molly talking movingly from outside her home in Flora Gardens are being broadcast at peak TV soap-watching times to try to encourage more people to stub out their last cigarette.
In the ad, Molly appeals to mum Sam to give up because she does not want her to die.
Molly says: "Hi mum, I know you're watching Coronation Street. I don't want you to smoke because I don't want you to go through what your mum went through. Because it will just make me really, really sad and because I don't want you to die. I don't know what I would do without you."
Sam, 42, managed to give up for six months once before before starting smoking again. She has now vowed to give up for good before Christmas.
She said: "It was quite upsetting just to hear Molly say the things she said, but it was really powerful and I've promised her I'm definitely going to try to stop. I didn't realise before how strongly she felt about me smoking.
"There's been a lot of attention since – Molly even ended up going on Sky and on This Morning with Peter Andre. I'm really proud of her and all the things she said."