Has the tobacco industry evaded the FDA's ban on ‘Light’ cigarette descriptors? | Tobacco Control

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Has the tobacco industry evaded the FDA's ban on ‘Light’ cigarette descriptors?

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Re:No evidence that the tobacco industry evaded the FDA's ban on 'Light' cigarette descriptors
Hillel R Alpert
Published on: 30 June 2015

Published on: 30 June 2015
Re:No evidence that the tobacco industry evaded the FDA's ban on 'Light' cigarette descriptors
- Hillel R Alpert
- Other Contributors:
  Gregory N Connolly
NOT PEER REVIEWED This comment summarizes, but mischaracterizes the findings and conclusions of our study. Our analyses and interpretation are based strictly on the letter of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA) and its requirements, including Section 911(b)(2)(ii), which bans "the use of explicit or implicit descriptors that convey messages of reduced risk including 'light', 'mild' and 'low', o...
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NOT PEER REVIEWED This comment summarizes, but mischaracterizes the findings and conclusions of our study. Our analyses and interpretation are based strictly on the letter of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA) and its requirements, including Section 911(b)(2)(ii), which bans "the use of explicit or implicit descriptors that convey messages of reduced risk including 'light', 'mild' and 'low', or similar descriptions in a tobacco product, label, labeling or advertising". The findings demonstrated that manufacturers did not simply remove descriptors, to be in compliance with the law, but introduced new color- coded brand name descriptors which smokers were able to recognize and easily identify the formerly labeled "lights" brands. We did not examine the use of colors themselves, which may be protected by the First Amendment, but rather the use of color terms. The marketing materials examined make explicit the fact that the use of substituted color terms in brand names is similar to the dropped "descriptors, so that consumers will continue to recognize these brands as "lights". The National Cancer Institute previously found that filter ventilation has been used by manufacturers to delineate the misleading "lights" categories, which are now color-coded, and which conveyed messages of reduced risk resulting in increased initiation and reduced cessation. Our conclusions are stated in conservative terms that manufacturers appear to have evaded this critical element of the FSPTCA, which is intended to protect the public health.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
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Conflict of Interest:
None declared.
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