Cigarettes are not sweets! That's the message top law-enforcement officials of 38 states sent to the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company last week. A new legal agreement prohibits the sale of flavored cigarettes in the U.S. if the packaging promotes sweet flavors.
The state attorneys general said that the cigarettes, with names like Twista Lime and Mandarin Mint, target teenagers. This violates a 1998 agreement to keep the company from marketing to kids. R.J. Reynolds has agreed to stop creating cigarettes with candy, fruit or dessert names, imagery or ads. The company will also end scratch-and-sniff advertising.