Harvard report says Menthol used to lure smokers into habit

Brian White — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:47:00 EST

Filed under: Industry

A Harvard report was release this week that again is setting the tobacco world on fire. Well, at least figuratively. In the report, the compound Menthol was the focus, and it was concluded that by varying the amount of it in certain brands of cigarettes, tobacco companies could recruit and keep younger smokers and those who may have had an initial bad reaction to smoking upon starting the habit.

The strategy was to "lock in lifelong adult smokers," said the researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. After all the past shenanigans that the tobacco industry has admitted to, it's not surprising to hear that using a varying chemical level strategy to recruit smokers and get them hooked was tried. It was found that milder cigarette brand with lower menthol levels were more appealing to younger smokers. hence, these products were marketed to that age group as a result, according to the report.

One particular example cited was the strategy Philip-Morris USA used when it introduced "Marlboro Milds" back in 2000. The product instantly became a hit with younger smokers was responsible for almost 80% of the menthol product category sales for the company that year.

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Harvard report says Menthol used to lure smokers into habit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More nicotine in cigarettes but not in Marlboro

Melly Alazraki — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 18:15:00 EST

Filed under: Other Issues, Products and Services, Industry, Consumer Experience, Altria Group (MO)

Oh boy, oh boy. This is not what anyone wanted to hear, I'm sure; not investors, not smokers and definitely not the general public. But we did hear it. A research from Harvard University's School of Public Health found that manufacturers increased the level of nicotine in major-brand cigarettes by 11% between 1997 and 2005.

Regardless of how you look at it or how the manufacturers achieved it, the end result is the same -- far more addictive cigarettes.

While a similar study by Massachusetts Department of Public Health with similar results was already published in the summer, cigarette companies complained about the methods. The Harvard study took cigarette makers complaints into account and still confirmed the state's results. The average rate of nicotine increase was 1.1% per year from 1997 to 2005.

And which brands, might you ask, have the highest level of nicotine? It seems that Camel and Doral, made by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings, and Newport, made by Loews Corp (NYSE:LTR) Carolina Group's (NYSE:CG) Lorillard Tobacco have the highest levels. Marlboro, the best-selling brand made by Altria Group Inc.'s (NYSE:MO) subsidiary Philip Morris USA , showed no overall change.

Gregory Connolly, director of the Harvard School of Public Health's Tobacco Control Research Program, did say: "Our findings call into serious question whether the tobacco industry has changed at all in its pursuit of addicting smokers since signing the Master Settlement Agreement."

Now, if I'm an Altria shareholder, am I happy Phillip Morris didn't increase nicotine in its Marlboros, or am I unhappy the company isn't doing more (like its rivals) to hook smokers? Well, Altria shares closed down 0.7% while Carolina Group's shares closed up 0.9% today. Perhaps it's just a coincidence.

More nicotine in cigarettes but not in Marlboro originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 18 Jan 2007 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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