THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 30, 1995 TAG: 9506300007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Philip Morris USA, the world's largest tobacco company, said recently it will spend millions to block teenagers' access to cigarettes.
Presumably the Richmond-based company will stop short of televising taped testimonials against smoking by famous smokers who later died of lung cancer or heart disease.
It's doubtful the company will buy newspaper ads that show healthy and diseased lungs side by side and that describe scientific studies linking smoking with disease and death.
Perhaps the company could sponsor and televise a marathon, a 26.2-mile footrace, solely for young runners who smoke two or more packs a day. Their agonized hacking and spitting might dissuade others from taking up the golden leaf.
In a newspaper ad, the company said it will place ``Underage sale prohibited'' labels on packs and cartons and will seek state legislation to block minors' access to cigarettes in vending machines and require that cigarettes be sold in sight of sales clerks. The ad said the company would stop mailing cigarettes to consumers and handing out free samples.
James J. Morgan, president and chief executive officer of Philip Morris USA, stated the obvious well: ``The best way to keep kids away from cigarettes is to keep cigarettes away from kids.''
Studies have shown that most lifelong smokers were hooked young. The federal Centers for Disease Control estimates 3 million teenage smokers spend $500 million a year on cigarettes.
All genuine efforts to keep youths and cigarettes apart are welcome, and Philip Morris USA's effort appears genuine. Cigarette manufacturers could show still greater concern for youths by counseling them that smoking hurts their health, but that day will never come. by CNB