February 11, 2009 3:22 PM

Alcohol, Tobacco Products Aimed At Teens?

By
Randall Pinkston
(CBS)  Peer pressure, catchy advertising, popular culture.

America's youth are inundated with visual appeals to drink and smoke, CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston reports.

While the alcohol and tobacco industries insist their products are aimed at adults, critics charge beverages like Sparks and colored tobacco products are tailor-made for teens. There are fruit-flavored cigars and energy drinks that are high-caffeine - and now, a new twist, up to 9 percent alcohol.

"Alcohol and caffeine are really double trouble when they're marketed to kids and when they create the illusion of alertness combined with the impairment of alcohol," said Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal.

It's not only the content that worries the critics - it's the marketing. From the names, Tilt, Sparks, Joose, to the colorful packaging and cartoon-like images.

"Well, they are influencing younger kids with all these flavors and that's not good," said student Maria Gomez. "When they get older, they might be addicted to these things."

And that is what concerns prosecutors of 27 states and the District of Columbia, who are accusing breweries of promoting products that are "highly attractive to underage youth."

Anheuser Busch refused CBS News interview requests. Miller says it will "fully cooperate with their investigation."

If the breweries don't comply, the attorneys general are threatening lawsuits. Meanwhile, an anti-smoking organization is pushing for tighter regulation of the tobacco industry.

"The sad truth is, a very heavy percentage of tobacco industry marketing is targeted directly at non-smoking adolescents," said Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Myers heads Tobacco-Free Kids, which issued a damning report against companies like R.J. Reynolds. Eleven years ago, it was forced to drop its cartoon-like Joe Camel ads.

Now, a new controversy - the use of high fashion to sell its Camel brand. R.J. Reynolds insists it's targeting women, not teens.

"Despite what the colors look like, despite what the advertising says, the primary point is: it's illegal to sell tobacco products to minors in all 50 states," said David Howard of the R.J. Reynolds company.

But critics say the problem is not the law - it's the message, which can persuade teens to try drinking and smoking.

Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved.
Add a Comment See all 24 Comments
by grammawhamma March 1, 2008 6:19 AM EST
SharedNotion: So anyone under the age of 18 shouldn''t have caffine according to you? Why should caffine become a controlled substance? So now you want McDonalds and Starbucks to card people that order coffee...sure. As for mixing alcohol with caffine...do you suggest a bartender should refuse to serve a person that has been drinking alcohol and then asks for a cup of coffee? Hmmmm.
Reply to this comment
by sharednotion February 29, 2008 3:53 PM EST
If persons who are legally old enough to buy cigarettes, wish to buy flavored cigarettes, I guess that''s their business. But, when manufacturers start putting alcohol (a depressant) and caffeine (a stimulant) in the same drink, does that raise a health issue that the FDA should investigate? And, what about beverages that minors under 18 can buy, that contain caffeine? Should there be a limit on how much caffeine can be in a product and still sell it to teens under 18? So, even if some people don''t see an issue with how products are advertised, what about objective, chemically-based issues about products sold to minors with high caffeine levels? And, should ANY beverage that combines alcohol WITH caffeine be legal at all?
Reply to this comment
by gary_is_read February 28, 2008 10:08 PM EST
While I agree we should discourage teenagers from smoking & drinking......as a retired military man I must ask if this means congess will no longer send our childen to war at the age of 18? I certainly don''t wany my child being shot or blown away by a bomb at an early age. Chances of being hurt or killed are much greater in a war than sitting home having a drink or smoke. Maybe we should raise the age to 21 to join the military, that way afte coming home from war they can have a drink or smoke legally!!!!
Reply to this comment
by dan9111 February 28, 2008 9:28 PM EST
It''s easy. It''s cigarette companies versus the government, right?

Which is worse: the guy who offers to sell you a cigarette at your own choice, or they guy who points a gun at you and tells you what to do or you will be shot or abducted at his discretion?

Let''s assume cigarettes are pure evil. Surely the guy who is coercing you at gunpoint is even worse. That is, of course, the nature of a goverment that acts, not by advisement and free choice, but by violent response to all those who disagree.
Reply to this comment
by randynason February 28, 2008 8:45 PM EST
What crazy, double messages the adult/marketing world is sending: smoke cigarettes, drink booze after you turn 18, have *** after you turn 18, eat bad food and drive fast cars all you want but, for heaven''s sake, don''t smoke pot and don''t ever, ever buy ciagarettes or booze for anyone under 18. What is 18- The age of reason, sensibility and stability? What''s wrong with this country?
Reply to this comment
by tucano2 February 28, 2008 7:11 PM EST
Military recruiters, cults,drug dealers, producers of alcohol and tobacco all know that you need to hook ''em early so as to form a life-long fix-seeking addiction. Nothing new here.
Reply to this comment
by grammawhamma February 28, 2008 7:10 PM EST
I have a Joe Camel T shirt...I wonder if it is a collectors item now?
Reply to this comment
by extremophil February 28, 2008 2:54 PM EST
Gee...I miss Joe Camel. I think of him everytime a grownup lights my cigarette for me.
Reply to this comment
by honestabe8 February 28, 2008 1:56 PM EST
Alcohol and tobacco marketed to kids? Shocked, I''m shocked. Seriously, I wonder what the Partnership For a Drug Free (except our drugs) America would say about this.

Fishinfool: Grape blunt? Sounds a bit...disgusting...
Reply to this comment
by suzieh2308 February 28, 2008 1:11 PM EST
This story is ridiculous - I am well over the legal age for both alcohol and tobacco, and I am attracted to new products with colorful packaging! Just because they advertised anything with colors or flavors doesn''t mean it''s for kids!! If the stores selling these products would do their job by carding people, there would not be an issue. I still get carded for buying cigarettes on a regular basis!! And as for the flavored beverages and flavored cigars - these have been around for 10+ years, this is not a new thing! Anyone remember Zima and Mike''s hard lemonade???
Reply to this comment
See all 24 Comments
.
Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook