Tobacco Companies Question Science - Surprise, Surprise
So a new report came out accusing tobacco of manipulating menthol to hook smokers early on:
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Tobacco companies manipulate the amount of menthol in cigarettes to make those first few puffs more palatable to young smokers, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday in a finding that could fuel support for more tobacco regulation.
"Menthol stimulates the cooling receptors in the lung and oral pharynx," said Dr. Gregory Connolly of the Harvard School of Public Health. "It makes smoking easier."
The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, comes as the U.S. Congress considers legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration broad authority to regulate tobacco.
Representatives of tobacco companies R.J. Reynolds, Philip Morris and Lorillard disputed the findings.
"It would appear this report is simply an effort to push support for federal regulation of the tobacco industry, not a scientific review of the menthol category," said David Howard, a spokesman for R.J. Reynolds, a unit of Reynolds American Inc and maker of Camel and Kool cigarettes.
Lorillard Inc spokesman Michael Robinson said in a statement: "The American public should view this report for what it is, a politically motivated lobbying tool."
Source: Menthol is used to hook young smokers: study | Science | Reuters
Does anyone ever believe anything tobacco says? And does anyone else wish we'd either just ban cigarettes or shut up about them already?