Jump to full article: Reuters, 2000-08-31
Author: Sue Pleming / Thursday August 31, 3:44 pm Eastern Time
Intro: Black teens overwhelmingly choose Newport cigarettes while white and Hispanic teens prefer Marlboro, according to a study on Thursday that anti-smoking groups said proved the power of brand advertising.
Tobacco companies have consistently denied targeting youths in their campaigns to win new smokers. Under an agreement reached in 1998, tobacco firms are forbidden from targeting youths.
But research director for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Danny McGoldrick said the survey showed that children who smoke continued to be influenced by advertising and were more likely than adults to pick the most heavily advertised brands -- Marlboro, Newport and Camel.
The Department of Health and Human Services' annual survey on drug abuse, smoking and alcohol said among 12 to 17 year olds, nearly 75 percent of African-Americans chose Newport while more than half of young white and Hispanic smokers named Marlboro as their usual brand.
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