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Tobacco deal zeroes in on teen smokers
But it's unclear whether new regulations can curb habit
June 21, 1997Web posted at: 1:17 p.m. EDT (1717 GMT)
From Correspondent Jonathan Karl
In this story:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- In the wake of the massive tobacco settlement announced Friday, both anti-tobacco politicians and health officials have agreed on one thing: They won't approve the settlement unless it protects children from smoking.
As it stands now in its pre-congressional ratification state, the deal gives tobacco companies a powerful incentive to work towards cutting underage smoking: If smoking among 12- to 17-year-olds isn't slashed by 60 percent over the next 10 years, the industry will have to pay as much as $1.6 billion a year in penalties.
"This agreement can be an historic turning point in the effort to protect our children from tobacco," said Bill Novelli, the president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
3 provisions target underage smokers
Three main provisions in the settlement are aimed at making the teen smoker a endangered species.
-- First, it will attempt to shield kids from tobacco advertising by banning outdoor ads, ads on the Internet and ads in magazines with a substantial youth readership. Joe Camel would be out of the picture, as would the Marlboro Man and any other people or cartoon figures formerly used in advertisements.
-- Second, the settlement seeks to limit underage access to cigarettes by banning vending machines, limiting mail-order sales and imposing stiff penalties on stores caught selling to minors. The industry is also required under the settlement to set up a nationwide licensing system for tobacco retailers.
-- Third, the tobacco industry will pay for a $500 million-a-year anti-smoking marketing campaign, including spots on prime-time national TV commercials, print ads, direct mail, billboards and the Internet.
"We wanted the industry to stop marketing to our kids, and we have developed a comprehensive plan to do that," said Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore, who led the charge against the tobacco industry in the just-completed talks.
Underage smokers differ over whether the effort to curb teen smoking will work. One 13-year-old who has been smoking for more than a year said it might help keep some kids from picking up the habit.
"But I think the kids who already have are pretty much hooked, and aren't going to stop," he said.
In the end, making cigarettes more difficult for young people to buy will not necessarily curb underage smoking. Strict laws against sales of alcohol to minors already exist, yet alcohol consumption is almost twice as common as smoking among high school seniors.
The battle to limit youth smoking will not be an easy one. Ninety percent of smokers started smoking before they were 18, and despite aggressive anti-smoking campaigns in recent years, smoking among high school seniors is at 17-year high.
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