283 



- 39 



■arketlnf of th«se cigarettes 1s an attempt to counter publicity about 

 health haiards: 



"Some may feel they can 'lessen the risk' by switching to brands with 

 much lower tar and nicotine ratings. Others may want to rld 

 theaselves of feelings of guilt about smoking or about their 

 Inability to quit, and they figure the best way to do this is to 

 saokc cigarettes with extremely low tar ratings. Certainly the 

 Industry-wide trend toward lower tar and nicotine deliveries 

 represents a response to the continuing health attacks on smoking. 

 If the attacks lead the public to believe smoking Is all that harmful 

 and hazardous, obviously the Indust.-y must respond...* ®* 



In the December 10, 1982 issue of .obacco International , the tobacco 

 Industry attributes growth In sales of low yield cigarettes to their 

 healthier image: 



"Cigarettes containing reduced tar levels have substantially 

 increased their share of the domestic market during the last 10 

 years... Because of the less negative health image (eaphasls added) 

 associated with lower-tar brands and reduced nicotine levels, the 

 former rapid gro%rth of this segment of the domestic cigarette market 

 1$ believed to be at least partially responsible for the upward 

 cigarette consumption trend of recent years..." ^* 



The article notes that a sharp increase In sales of longer 100 mm 

 cigarettes "In recent months" may have occurred because anti-smoking 

 forces had lessened pressure and the Tobacco Institute had increased its 

 'educational* efforts, a clear acknowledgment that the public chooses 

 loMr yield cigarettes for health reasons: 



"Sales of longer 100 am cigarettes have moved up sharply during 

 recent months. This new trend ... may have resulted from a lessening 

 In pressure from anti-smoking forces and the effectiveness of the 

 industry's recent 'educational' programs surrounding the health Issue 

 as effected by the Tobacco Institute." ®* (Tobacco International uses 

 quotes around the word 'educational,' indicating that these programs 

 are not truly educational, but have some other purpose, which Is 

 obviously coam«rc1al.) 



