Menthol Gets Free Pass in Cigarette Bill

Tobacco row erupts over exemption from cigarette flavoring ban

(NEWSER) - The exemption of menthol from a bill banning flavored cigarettes is causing a rift in the Black Congressional Caucus, the New York Times reports. Some members of the caucus, which has strong financial ties to tobacco companies, argue that menthol cigarettes cause disproportionate harm to blacks and are pushing for a ban. Others say a ban on menthol would sink the bill. More»

We're smoking less because it's dumb, not because of policy: Will

(NEWSER) - President Obama might have praised Congress' tobacco bill, but for George F. Will, the new legislation gives just two muscular groups reason to celebrate: Philip Morris and "the Democratic Party's fountain of funds, the trial bar." New restrictions on cigarette advertising will help Philip Morris vault over competitors, while a provision on product liability encourages further multibillion-dollar lawsuits. It's a "contradictory and unlovely" bill, he writes, part of tobacco policy that appears to be "on balance, a success." More»

(NEWSER) - Tobacco companies engaged in “deceits” and knowingly marketed cigarettes without regard for consumers’ health, violating civil racketeering laws, a federal appeals court ruled today. In upholding the verdict in a landmark case brought by the Clinton Justice Department in 1999, the court refused to overturn a district judge’s order that the companies, including Altria and Philip Morris, stop using such marketing terms as “low tar” and “light,” the Washington Post reports. More»

Philip Morris vows to appeal verdict

(NEWSER) - Philip Morris must pay $8 million to the widow and son of a 55-year-old lung cancer victim, a Florida jury says. Jurors in the closely watched case decided that the cigarette maker hid the health risks and addictive qualities of cigarettes, the Miami Herald reports. Stuart Hess smoked about two packs daily for 40 years, and the company says Hess was responsible for his own health. It plans to appeal. More»

Menthol cigarettes go down easier with youngsters

(NEWSER) - Tobacco companies use menthol to make the taste of cigarettes more acceptable to young first-time smokers until they become addicted, a new study charges. Researchers found that 44% of child smokers used menthol cigarettes, reports Reuters. "Menthol stimulates the cooling receptors in the lungs," said an expert from the Harvard School of Public Health who studied the marketing of menthol cigarettes. "Menthol helps the nicotine go down. It makes smoking easier." More»