Because they’re basically meaningless.
Alexlukin / Getty Images
For decades, cigarette makers have been advertising their products as "natural" or "additive-free" — one of the few ways to boost the appeal of an item sold with cancer warnings on the box. The government is now taking action against these claims.
On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to the makers of Winston, Natural American Spirit, and Sherman's cigarettes, saying their marketing suggests that they are less risky than other tobacco products. Companies that want to advertise like that must first submit an application with scientific evidence supporting such claims to the FDA.
The three companies must respond to the FDA's warning letters within 15 working days either explaining how they will remedy the violation or proving that they are not violating the law.
Cigarette sales in the U.S. have been declining for years — nearly 264 billion cigarettes were sold last year, a roughly 3.3% decrease from 2013.
But Natural American Spirit, like many products with the "natural" label, has been growing. One analyst told the Winston-Salem Journal earlier this year that the brand "has long runway for double-digit growth in [the] U.S. and international and remains a very attractive asset."
Nat Sherman
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment