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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered several tobacco companies to end their campaigns claiming their cigarettes are “natural” and “additive-free”. Continue reading the story for more information.

FDA Takes Action Against Tobacco Companies For “Natural” Advertisement

The federal agency has serious concerns that these claims will be a detriment to society as people will, most likely, be encouraged to smoke these particular brands. These descriptors can be quite deceiving to consumers especially teenagers; so the agency wanted to do away of the persuasive and specious verbiage.

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Reynolds America Inc., owner of Natural American Spirit; Imperial Tobacco PLC, owner of Winston; and Sherman’s 1400 Broadway N.Y.C. Ltd., owner of Nat Sherman Cigarettes, for its Nat Sherman cigarette brand, were all notified to remove these words from their products.

ITG: Winston cigarettes with the claim “additive-free.”
Santa Fe: Natural American Spirit cigarettes with the claims “natural” and “additive-free.”
Sherman: Nat Sherman cigarettes with the claim “natural.”

Director for the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, Mitch Zeller, says the action “is a milestone and a reminder how we use tools of science-based regulation to protect the U.S. public from the harmful effects of tobacco use.”

Reynolds representative says they are still reviewing the letter of descriptor- removal, and the Sherman brand declined to comment. But, Imperial’s U.S subsidiary, ITG Brand LLC, says it believes they are in compliance with both state and federal law. One representative says, “While we disagree on the FDA’s position on the issue, we intend to engage with the FDA and respond to their letter in the coming days.”

Since being granted rights to regulate tobacco companies in 2009, this is the first time the agency has flexed its authoritative muscles toward tobacco companies. Although the agency claims this comes after an extensive investigation of the tobacco descriptions, anti-tobacco activists and health groups wrote the FDA expressing their dissension of these marketing techniques.

The FDA gave the companies 15 days to respond.

FDA Takes Action Against Tobacco Companies For “Natural” Advertisement

SOURCE: NPR