Tobacco companies get students to light up
By: Nick Lucchesi
Issue date: 3/24/05 Section: News
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In dimly lit bars across St. Louis, representatives from the RJ Reynolds cigarette brand, Camel cigarettes, are surrounded by college students lining up for free packs of cigarettes. In exchange for a quick scan of their driver's license and their home address and phone number, Camel brand representatives hand out two packs each to interested smokers.
"I mean, it's an obvious PR tactic, giving people cigarettes for free," said Webster University senior film production major Justin Talley, after receiving his two free complimentary packs at a south St. Louis bar March 23.
Like many college smokers, Talley said his cigarette smoking increased dramatically after entering Webster University in 2001. Talley is typical of college-aged smokers in his habit increase. College students are the youngest legal target for tobacco companies. He said he has only gotten free cigarettes from the Camel cigarettes representatives "maybe six times in a couple months."
The young representatives from Camel all declined to talk about their job, instead directing any inquiries to an RJ Reynolds public relations firm. RJ Reynolds representatives were not available for comment.
"I don't know what I can and can't talk about," said one representative in a phone call from The Journal. "I could get fired. If we have any media requests, we are supposed to direct them to that phone number."
Camel representatives work for a national marketing firm with a branch in St. Louis, BFG Communications. A St. Louis BFG employee also declined to talk about any aspect of what the representatives do on the job, or even what tobacco company BFG represented. On BFG's Web site, Camel cigarettes is listed as a client.
"We are an agency hired by a tobacco company to do promotions, so other than what we give out, we are not involved," said the BFG employee. "We can't say anything else, it's not us, it's the client that has to speak about their product directly."
A Harvard University School of Public Health study conducted in 2002 that college "appears to be a time when many students are trying a range of tobacco products and are in danger of developing lifelong nicotine dependence." The conclusion to the study suggests that while tobacco companies maintain they are marketing to current smokers, the risk-taking attitudes of many college students means there will be many new smokers as well. The study's conclusion advocates increased restrictions. It states that "national efforts to monitor and reduce tobacco use of all types should expand to focus on college students and other young adults."
"I mean, it's an obvious PR tactic, giving people cigarettes for free," said Webster University senior film production major Justin Talley, after receiving his two free complimentary packs at a south St. Louis bar March 23.
Like many college smokers, Talley said his cigarette smoking increased dramatically after entering Webster University in 2001. Talley is typical of college-aged smokers in his habit increase. College students are the youngest legal target for tobacco companies. He said he has only gotten free cigarettes from the Camel cigarettes representatives "maybe six times in a couple months."
The young representatives from Camel all declined to talk about their job, instead directing any inquiries to an RJ Reynolds public relations firm. RJ Reynolds representatives were not available for comment.
"I don't know what I can and can't talk about," said one representative in a phone call from The Journal. "I could get fired. If we have any media requests, we are supposed to direct them to that phone number."
Camel representatives work for a national marketing firm with a branch in St. Louis, BFG Communications. A St. Louis BFG employee also declined to talk about any aspect of what the representatives do on the job, or even what tobacco company BFG represented. On BFG's Web site, Camel cigarettes is listed as a client.
"We are an agency hired by a tobacco company to do promotions, so other than what we give out, we are not involved," said the BFG employee. "We can't say anything else, it's not us, it's the client that has to speak about their product directly."
A Harvard University School of Public Health study conducted in 2002 that college "appears to be a time when many students are trying a range of tobacco products and are in danger of developing lifelong nicotine dependence." The conclusion to the study suggests that while tobacco companies maintain they are marketing to current smokers, the risk-taking attitudes of many college students means there will be many new smokers as well. The study's conclusion advocates increased restrictions. It states that "national efforts to monitor and reduce tobacco use of all types should expand to focus on college students and other young adults."
