MEANINGLESS?

Governor Pawlenty proposed legislation banning the sale
of specialty and candy flavored cigarettes.

Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch told DFL activits in Bemidji yesterday that issues such as fighting the rise of teen smoking by banning candy-flavored cigarettes "sound good, th[e]y get a great sound bite, but they’re meaningless.” Source: Bemidji Pioneer, February 22, 2005. [Registration required]

Meaningless?

Hatch was undoubtedly responding to the actions of Governor Tim Pawlenty who proposed legislation that would make Minnesota the first state to ban the sale of specialty and candy flavored cigarettes.

According to Governor Pawlenty's website:

"Flavored cigarettes pose a particular risk because they have been shown to appeal to teens. Preliminary data from the National Youth Smoking Cessation Survey found a strong correlation between age and use of flavored tobacco. Nationally, 24 percent of 16 and 17-year-olds and 17 percent of 18 and 19-year-olds reported using flavored cigarettes in the previous month. The number of adults who had tried these products was significantly less -- only 9.4 percent of adults age 25-44 had tried flavored cigarettes and only 3.8 percent of adults 45 and older had tried them.

Within the past year, cigarette manufacturers have begun selling these specialty and candy flavored cigarettes. Types of cigarettes impacted by Governor Pawlenty's proposed ban would include R.J. Reynolds products such as 'Kauai Kolada,' 'Twista Lime,' 'Winter Warm Toffee' and 'Winter MochaMint' and Brown & Williamson flavored versions of Kool cigarettes such as 'Caribbean Chill,' 'Midnight Berry,' 'Mocha Taboo' and 'Mintrigue.'"

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said "RJR's candy-flavored cigarettes are the latest evidence that the tobacco companies have not changed and continue to market in ways that appeal to kids."

But according to Hatch, banning specialty and candy-flavored cigarettes is "meaningless."

Outrageous.