New law prevents 'light' terms on cigarette packs

Many smokers in Iowa will start noticing some changes in the way their brand of cigarettes is packaged.

New regulations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which go into effect today, ban words such as “light,” “mild,” and “low-tar” to describe the product. Such language has been shown to mislead consumers into thinking certain types of cigarettes are safer.

“This is an opportunity for us to correct decades of misinformation about cigarettes - our state's number one cause of preventable death,” said Bonnie Mapes, division director for Tobacco Use Prevention and Control at the Iowa Department of Public Health. “Smokers may notice other changes in packaging, such as color or design. Regardless of how they're packaged, however, there's just no such thing as a safe cigarette.”

The regulations coincide with the anniversary of the 2009 federal Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. They follow action taken by the FDA in September to prevent the sale of most types of flavored cigarettes, which have been shown to encourage tobacco use among youth. As of today, the law also prohibits:

– sales of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to people younger than 18;

– tobacco brand sponsorship of athletic, musical, or other social or cultural events;

– sales or distribution of items such as hats and T-shirts with tobacco brands or logos;

– sales of packages with fewer than 20 cigarettes;

– most sales of tobacco products in vending machines, self-service displays, or other impersonal modes of sales;

– free samples of cigarettes; and

– sales or other items in exchange for buying tobacco products.

To learn more, visit www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts or call the FDA at 1-877-287-1373. To learn about Iowa's youth-led effort to spread the truth about tobacco use and the deceptive practices of the tobacco industry, visit the JEL (Just Eliminate Lies) website at www.jeliowa.org

-- Release from the Iowa Department of Public Health