A week before the new ban on marketing cigarettes with “light,” “mild,” or “low-tar” labels took effect Tuesday, Philip Morris USA was already dealing with demands by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the tobacco company provide all documents related to their recent marketing campaign.
The FDA is concerned that Philip Morris USA may be using “onserts” with their Marlboro Light cigarettes to continue creating an impression that “light cigarettes” are less harmful than the regular ones.
The message on the onserts reads, “Your Marlboro Lights pack is changing. But your cigarette stays the same. In the future, ask for Marlboro in the gold pack.”
“FDA is concerned that the statements included in the onserts attached to the individual packs of Marlboro Lights may perpetuate the mistaken beliefs associated with your ‘light’ cigarettes when marketed as Marlboro in the gold pack,” the FDA said in a letter directed to Philip Morris USA’s Executive Vice President Denise F. Keane dated June 17.
“By stating that only the packaging is changing, but the cigarettes will stay the same, the onsert suggests that Marlboro in the gold pack will have the same characteristics as Marlboro Lights, including any mistaken attributes associated with the ‘light’ cigarettes,” the FDA wrote.
Using gold and silver packaging has become a strategy for Philip Morris USA and other tobacco giants to compromise for not being able to use “light” and “ultra-light” labels, according to Mathew Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in a statement. The companies are also changing former “light”-labeled packs to lighter colors. Some have even introduced clove cigars to oppose the FDA’s ban on candy and fruit-flavored cigarettes that appeal to kids.
Although the federal law passed by the Obama administration a year ago gives the FDA the power to regulate tobacco products, the tobacco companies appear to be avoiding the regulations with various marketing strategies. To this, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said in their statement that “vigilant monitoring” and “strict enforcement” are vital for the FDA to succeed in enforcing the laws.
The FDA is concerned that Philip Morris USA may be using “onserts” with their Marlboro Light cigarettes to continue creating an impression that “light cigarettes” are less harmful than the regular ones.
The message on the onserts reads, “Your Marlboro Lights pack is changing. But your cigarette stays the same. In the future, ask for Marlboro in the gold pack.”
“FDA is concerned that the statements included in the onserts attached to the individual packs of Marlboro Lights may perpetuate the mistaken beliefs associated with your ‘light’ cigarettes when marketed as Marlboro in the gold pack,” the FDA said in a letter directed to Philip Morris USA’s Executive Vice President Denise F. Keane dated June 17.
“By stating that only the packaging is changing, but the cigarettes will stay the same, the onsert suggests that Marlboro in the gold pack will have the same characteristics as Marlboro Lights, including any mistaken attributes associated with the ‘light’ cigarettes,” the FDA wrote.
Using gold and silver packaging has become a strategy for Philip Morris USA and other tobacco giants to compromise for not being able to use “light” and “ultra-light” labels, according to Mathew Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in a statement. The companies are also changing former “light”-labeled packs to lighter colors. Some have even introduced clove cigars to oppose the FDA’s ban on candy and fruit-flavored cigarettes that appeal to kids.
Although the federal law passed by the Obama administration a year ago gives the FDA the power to regulate tobacco products, the tobacco companies appear to be avoiding the regulations with various marketing strategies. To this, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said in their statement that “vigilant monitoring” and “strict enforcement” are vital for the FDA to succeed in enforcing the laws.
