ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE MCGRATH
STATE OF MONTANA

FOR RELEASE: October 11, 2006

CONTACT: Lynn Solomon, 444-0582 or Judy Beck, 444-5774

McGrath: States, RJR Reach Agreement to End Sale of Flavored Cigarettes

HELENA – Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath today announced that Montana and 38 other states have entered into an agreement (PDF) with tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds that ends the sale of candy, fruit and alcohol flavored cigarettes manufactured and sold by Reynolds.

"This agreement ends RJR's deplorable practice of enticing children to start smoking," McGrath said. "Big tobacco companies know that they can earn more money if they can get young people to start smoking early."

The 39 attorneys general had asserted that Reynolds' advertising, marketing and promotion of its flavored cigarettes violated the 1998 tobacco Master Settlement Agreement's prohibition on targeting youth. McGrath noted that Reynolds targeted young people with colorful, stylized packaging and advertising and cigarettes flavored like candy, fruit and alcohol. Some promotional materials were "scratch and sniff," but featured a sweet or fruity scent instead of the smell of tobacco.

"The younger people are when they start smoking, the more likely they are to become addicted to tobacco," McGrath said. "There's no question that flavored cigarettes are designed to take advantage of that."

Under the settlement, Reynolds agrees to a ban in the United States of its flavored Camel, Kool and Salem cigarettes. McGrath said the agreement also imposes significant marketing restrictions that make it virtually impossible for Reynolds to market a flavored cigarette to young people in the future.

• The name of the cigarette may not be that of a candy, a fruit or an alcoholic beverage, and may not include any of a number of specified terms that evoke imagery of candy, fruit or alcoholic beverages.
• Reynolds may not use print advertising, point of sale materials, exterior packaging or non-age-verified direct mail or internet advertising that contain names of a candy, a fruit or an alcoholic beverage; any of a number of specified terms that evoke imagery of candy, fruit or alcoholic beverages, or imagery of candy, fruit or alcoholic beverages.
• Reynolds may not distribute scented promotional materials, like "lift and sniff" or "scratch and sniff."

The brand styles of flavored cigarettes sold by Reynolds that are specifically banned by the agreement are: Camel Exotic Blends: Mandarin Mint, Dark Mint, Crema, Izmir Stinger, Twist, Cinnzabar, Mandalay Lime, Aegean Spice, Bayou Blast, Beach Breezer, Margarita Mixer, Midnight Madness, Back Alley Blend, Kauai Kolada, Twista Lime, Winter MochaMint, Warm Winter Toffee, Blackjack Gin, Screwdriver Slots and SnakeEyes Scotch; Salem Silver: Dark Currents, Fire & Ice, Deep Freeze and Cool Myst; and Kool Smooth Fusions: Mintrigue, Mocha Taboo, Midnight Berry and Caribbean Chill.