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Tobacco Industry News
National
Good clean tobacco: Philip Morris, biocapitalism, and the social course of stigma in North Carolina (NC)
An anthropologist from Washington University uses his field research on a tobacco-growing region of North Carolina to give context for the motives behind Philip Morris’ unexpected position change to favor FDA regulation of tobacco products. The focus of the article goes beyond public health to examine how the company’s economic stake in tobacco farming and production affects their interests in this policy issue. The proposal for FDA regulation does not address the tobacco industry’s dependence on marginalized migrant workers in its large-scale farming operations, or the repositioning of the tobacco industry to promote tobacco use in developing countries. While the intent of the current FDA regulation proposal is to protect consumer health and safety, this article provides perspective on the social problems the legislation could exacerbate for farmers and farm workers. Click here to read more. Click here to read the abstract of the article, which is published in the journal American Ethnologist.
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Reports
Deadly in pink: Philip Morris’ new look for Virginia Slims cigarettes
Philip Morris has released newly redesigned “purse packs” in an effort to target its marketing to young women. The company’s new Virginia Slims "Super Slims Lights" and "Super Slims Ultra Lights" are already being sold in some markets with sleek pink packaging carrying “super slim” cigarettes that are very narrow in diameter. The marketing of this brand implies that smoking is fashionable and feminine, and appeals to women’s insecurities about body image and weight gain. The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids cites this heavily targeted marketing campaign as further evidence of the need for FDA regulation of tobacco products and marketing. The bill has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, and remains pending in the Senate. Click here to view a press release from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and click here to read the American Legacy Foundation’s response to the new Virginia Slims products titled, “We've Come a Long Way, Baby?”
R.J. Reynolds' Snus goes national
In the first quarter of 2009, R.J. Reynolds is marketing its spitless, smokeless tobacco product Camel Snus nationally, along with the rollout of three new dissolvable tobacco products in test markets. Packages of these new products will be priced comparably to cigarettes, and will be marketed through signage in retail establishments, direct-mail, print advertisements, and sampling at adults-only venues such as nightclubs. This national release comes after successful piloting of Snus in several major metropolitan areas. Although Snus products account for only a small portion of tobacco sales, consumer research points to a market for alternative tobacco products that can be used in places where smoking is prohibited or unacceptable. A representative from R.J. Reynolds sees the new smokeless tobacco products as necessary to her company’s position as a "total tobacco company." Click here to read more. Click here to read a related article on smokeless tobacco and the national rollout of Snus.
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