photo: peegreengirl/ BY-NC-SA

 The FDA has just implemented more regulations that ban the sale and marketing of cigarettes to people younger than 18, and it’s about time. I know way too many people under 18 who smoke, and I have so many friends who started smoking before they were 18, with advertising and marketing being a main factor. My best friend picks her brand of cigarettes based on the packaging of the box. If the box is metallic gold or if the filters are a different color she is more eager to buy them. She is just one of many girls who like Camels No.9 cigarettes design-a black box with pink highlights and thinner cigarettes targeted at women and girls. Since the ads were published in magazines such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Glamour they have become a hit with girls 12-16. But just yesterday the FDA added a whole new set of restrictions to try to combat this.

The new regulations prohibit:
• free samples of cigarettes and limits distribution of smokeless tobacco products.
• tobacco brand name sponsorship of any athletic, musical, or other social or cultural event, or any team or entry in those events.
• gifts or other items in exchange for buying cigarettes or smokeless tobacco products.
• Requires that audio ads use only words with no music or sound effects.
• the sale or distribution of items, such as hats and tee shirts, with tobacco brands or logos.
(Via: FDA)

I believe that the regulations will help protect people younger than 18, without hurting cigarettes companies’ legal market. And to cut underage smoking even more  researchers should look at the other reasons why minors smoke -  it can’t all be in the box.