The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: Attendees will be able to understand youth awareness, receptivity and use of flavored cigarettes and explore differences in flavored cigarette use among teens at higher risk for tobacco use.

Methods: This study uses data from the January 2005 Legacy Media Tracking Survey (LMTS) to measure youth awareness, receptivity, use of flavored cigarettes, and awareness of advertising for these products. LMTS is a nationally representative Internet-based survey of 3,500 teens ages 13-17 in the US which oversamples African American and Hispanic youth. The survey tracks youth attitudes, beliefs, and tobacco related behaviors as well as exposure to pro and anti-tobacco marketing.

Results: Over half of surveyed youth reported having heard of flavored cigarettes. Over one third had seen ads for these products. Five percent of youth reported having tried flavored cigarettes. More than a quarter of surveyed youth said they thought a flavored cigarette would taste better than a regular cigarette. Youth who were high sensation seekers were no more likely to have tried flavored cigarettes, but they were more likely to express interest in them or think they would taste better than a regular cigarette. Public health advocates are concerned that flavored cigarettes may be targeted toward youth or designed specifically to appeal to minority youth with advertising and packaging that feature urban and hip hop themes. Settlements from several lawsuits asserting that flavored cigarettes have been targeted to youth have forced tobacco companies to change their marketing and promotion plan.