The meaning of "light" and "ultralight" cigarettes: A Commentary on Smith, Stutts, and Zank

Journal of Public Policy and Marketing

Volumn 31, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 223-231

  Hoek, Janet ^a   Dewhirst, Timothy ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO   (New Zealand)

^b UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH   (Canada)

Author keywords

Consumer deception; Product descriptors; Risk perceptions; Smoking; Tobacco

Indexed keywords

EID: 84871251408     PISSN: 07439156     EISSN: 15477207     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1509/jppm.11.142     Document Type: Article

References (69)

1. Anderson, Stacey J., Timothy Dewhirst, and Pamela M. Ling (2006), "Every document and picture tells a story: Using internal corporate document reviews, semiotics, and content analysis to assess tobacco advertising," Tobacco Control, 15 (3), 254-61.
2. Anderson, Stacey J., Timothy Dewhirst, Pamela M. Ling, and Stanton A. Glantz (2007), Implications of the fedral court order banning the terms 'light' and 'mild': What difference could it make? Tobacco Control, 16 (4), 275-79.
3. Andrews, J. Craig, Richard G. Netemeyer, and Scot Burton (2009), "The nutrition elite: Do only the highest levels of caloric knowledge, obesity knowledge, and motivation matter in processing nutrition ad claims and disclosures?" Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 28 (Spring), 41-55.
4. Arnett, Jeffrey J. (2000), "Optimism bias in adolescent and adult smokers and nonsmokers," Addictive Behaviors, 25 (4), 625-32.
5. Ashley, Mary J., Joanna Cohen, and Roberta Ferrence (2001), "'Light' and 'mild' cigarettes: Who smokes them? are they being misled?" Canadian Journal of Public Health, 92 (6), 407-411.
6. BAT (1985), "Research & Development/Marketing Conference, Bates No. 102198600," (accessed August 17, 2012), [available at http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/esm86a99].
7. Benowitz, Neal L., Peyton, Jacob III, John T. Bernert, et al. (2005), "Carcinogen exposure during short-term switching from regular to 'light' cigarettes," Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 14 (6), 1376-83.
8. Borland, Ron H., Hua-Hie Yong, Bill King, K.M. Cummings, G.T. Fong, et al. (2004), "Use of and beliefs about light cigarettes in four countries: Findings from the international tobacco control policy evaluation survey," Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 6 (Supplement 3), S311-S321.
9. Chapman, Simon and Jonathan Liberman (2005), "Ensuring smokers are adequately informed: Reflections on consumer rights, manufacturer responsibility, and policy implications," Tobacco Control, 14 (Supplement 2), ii8-ii13.
10. Chapman, Simon Wai L. Wong, and Wayne Smith (1993), "Self-exempting beliefs about smoking and health: Differences between smokers and ex-smokers," American Journal of Public Health, 83 (2), 215-19.
11. Choi, Youjin, Sejung M. Choi, and Nora Rifon (2010), '"I smoke but i am not a smoker': Phantom smokers and the discrepancy between self-identity and behavior," Journal of American College Health, 59 (2), 117-25.
12. Cohen, Joel B. (1989), "Counting advertising assertions to assess regulatory policy: When it doesn't add up," Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 8 (Spring), 24-29.
13. Cohen, Joel B.(1992), "Research and policy issues in ringold and calfee's treatment of cigarette health claims," Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 11 (Spring), 82-86.
14. Crocker, Paul R. (1979), "Exploratory Concept Research: 'Matinée' Print Advertising," prepared by Paul R. Crocker & Associates Inc. for Imperial Tobacco Ltd., Exhibit AG-54, RJRMacdonald Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General).
15. Dewhirst, Timothy and Wonkyong B. Lee (2012), "Cigarette advertising in the Republic of Korea: A case illustration of the one," Tobacco Control, (published electronically April 19), [DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011- 050315].
16. DiFranza, Joseph R., J.A. Savageau, N.A. Rigotti, K. Fletcher, J.K. Ockene, A.D. McNeill, M. Coleman, and C. Wood (2002), "Development of symptoms of tobacco dependence in youths: 30 month follow up data from the DANDY study," Tobacco Control, 11 (3), 228-35.
17. Elton-Marshall, Tara, Geoffrey T. Fong, Mark P. Zanna, Y. Jiang, D. Hammond, RJ. O'Connor, et al. (2010), "Beliefs about the relative harm of 'light' and 'low tar' cigarettes: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) China survey," Tobacco Control, 19 (Supplement 2): i54-i62.
18. Etter, Jean-Francois, Lynn T. Kozlowski, and Thomas V. Perneger (2003), "What smokers believe about light and ultralight cigarettes," Preventive Medicine, 36 (1), 92-98.
19. FTC (1984), "FTC Policy Statement Regarding Advertising Substantiation," appended to Thompson Medical Co., 104 F.T.C. 648, 839, (accessed March 14, 2012), [available at http:// www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/ ad3subst.htm].
20. FTC(2009), Federal Trade Commission Cigarette Report for 2006. Washington DC: FTC.
21. Gilpin, Elizabeth A., Sherry Emery, Martha M. White, and John P. Pierce (2002), "Does tobacco industry marketing of 'light' cigarettes give smokers a rationale for postponing quitting?" Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 4 (Supplement 2), S147-Sl55.
22. Gilpin, Elizabeth A., Sherry Emery, Martha M. White, Victoria M. White, and John P. Pierce (2005), "How effective are tobacco industry bar and club marketing efforts in reaching young adults?" Tobacco Control, 14 (3), 186-92.
23. Hammond, David (2005), "Smoking behaviour among young adults: beyond youth prevention," Tobacco Control, 14 (3), 181-85.
24. Hammond, David Martin Dockrell, Deborah Arnott, Alex Lee, and Ann McNeill (2009), "Cigarette pack design and perceptions of risk among UK adults and youth," European Journal of Public Health, 19 (6), 631-37.
25. Hammond, David and Carla Parkinson (2009), "The impact of cigarette package design on perceptions of risk," Journal of Public Health, 31 (3), 345-53.
26. Hoek, Janet, Ninya Maubach, Rachel Stevenson, Philip Gendall, and Richard Edwards (2012), "Social smokers' management of conflicted identities," Tobacco Control, 21, (published electronically February 20), [DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011-050176].
27. Institute for Analytical Research Inc. (1969), "Contemporary Consumer Attitudes Toward Cigarettes, Smoking and Health," prepared for Imperial Tobacco Ltd., Bates No. 680083054.
28. ITL (1970), "1971 Matinée Marketing Plans," Exhibit AG-204, RJR Macdonald Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General).
29. Jamieson, Patrick and Daniel Romer (2001), "What do young people think they know about the risks of smoking?" in Smoking: Risk, Perception, and Policy, Paul Slovic, ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 51-63.
30. Johnson, Joy L., Joan L. Bottorff, Barbara Moffat, Pamela A. Ratner, Jean A. Shoveller, and Chris Y. Lovato (2003), "Tobacco dependence: Adolescents' perspectives on the need to smoke," Social Science & Medicine, 56 (7), 1481-92.
31. Kenyon & Eckhardt (1974), "Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company New Ventures Project Consumer Views the 'New' Smoker," prepared for Brown & Williamson (September), Bates No. 680289744-680289780.
32. King, Bill, Hua-Hie Yong, Ron H. Borland, M. Omar, A.A. Ahmad, B. Sirirassamee, et al. (2010), "Malaysian and thai smokers' beliefs about the harmfulness of 'light' and menthol cigarettes," Tobacco Control, 19 (6), 444-50.
33. Kluger, Richard (1997), Ashes to Ashes: America's Hundred-Year Cigarette War, the Public Health, and the Unabashed Triumph of Philip Morris. New York: Vintage Books.
34. Kozlowski, Lynn T., Marvin E. Goldberg, Berwood A. Yost, Erica L. White, Christine T. Sweeney, and Janine L. Pillitteri (1998), "Smokers' misperceptions of light and ultra-light cigarettes may keep them smoking," American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 15 (1), 9-16.
35. Kozlowski, Lynn T., Marvin E. Goldberg, Berwood A. Yost, Erica L. White, Christine T. Sweeney, and Janine L. Pillitteri (2001), "Beliefs about 'light' and 'ultra light' cigarettes: An overview of early efforts and published research," Tobacco Control, 10 (Supplement 1), i12-i16.
36. Kropp, Rhonda Y. and Bonnie L. Halpern-Felsher (2004), "Adolescents' beliefs about the risks involved in smoking 'light' cigarettes," Pediatrics, 114 (4), e445-e451.
37. Lee, Wonkyong B., Geoffrey T. Fong, Mark P. Zanna, Ron Borland, Maizurah Omar, and Buppha Sirirassamee (2009), "Regret and rationalization among smokers in Thailand and Malaysia: Findings from the international tobacco control southeast asia survey," Health Psychology, 28 (4), 457-64.
38. Ling, Pamela M. and Stanton A. Glantz (2002), "Why and how the tobacco industry sells cigarettes to young adults: Evidence from industry documents," American Journal of Public Health, 92 (6), 908-916.
39. Moran, Susan, Henry Wechsler, and Nancy A. Pigotti (2004), "Social smoking among U.S. college students," Pediatrics, 114 (4), 1028-34.
40. National Cancer Institute (2001), Risks Associated with Smoking Cigarettes with Low Machine-Measured Yields of Tar and Nicotine, Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph No. 13. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute.
41. Nicholas Research International (1982), "A Qualitative Study on Project - P.B.," prepared for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, (January 21), Bates No. 501107080-7190.
42. Patton, George, J. B. Carlin, C. Coffey, R. Wolfe, M. Hibbert, and G. Bowes (1998). "The course of early smoking: A population-based cohort study over three years," Addiction, 93 (8), 1251-60.
43. Peretti-Watel, Patrick, Jean Constance, Philippe Guilbert, Arnaud Gautier, Francois Beck, and Jean-Paul Moatti (2007), "Smoking too few cigarettes to be at risk? smokers' perceptions of risk and risk denial: A french survey," Tobacco Control, 16 (5), 351-56.
44. Pollay, Richard W. (1989), "Filters, flavors ... flim-flam, too! on 'health information' and policy implications in cigarette advertising," Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 8, 30-39.
45. Pollay, Richard W.(1990), "Information and imagery in contemporary canadian cigarette ads," in Proceedings of the American Academy of Advertising, 1990, Patricia Stout, ed. Austin: University of Texas, 74-79.
46. Pollay, Richard W.(2000), "Targeting youth and concerned smokers: Evidence from canadian tobacco industry documents," Tobacco Control, 9 (2), 136-47.
47. Pollay, Richard W. and Timothy Dewhirst (2001), "Marketing cigarettes with low machine-measured yields," in Risks Associated with Smoking Cigarettes with Low Machine-Measured Yields of Tar and Nicotine, Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph No. 13. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, 199-235.
48. Pollay, Richard W. (2002), "The dark side of marketing seemingly 'light' cigarettes: Successful images and failed fact," Tobacco Control, 11 (Supplement 1), i18-i31.
49. Preston, Ivan L. and Jef I. Richards (1986), "Consumer miscomprehension as a challenge to FTC prosecutions of deceptive advertising," John Marshall Law Review, 19 (3), 605-636.
50. Puntoni, Stefano, Jonathan Schroeder, and Mark Ritson (2010), "Meaning matters: Polysemy in advertising," Journal of Advertising, 39 (2), 51-64.
51. Ringold, Debra J. and John E. Calfee (1989), "The informational content of cigarette advertising: 1926-1986," Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 8, 1-23.
52. Ringold, Debra J.(1990), "What can we leam from the informational content of cigarette advertising? a reply and further analysis," Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 9, 30-41.
53. Romer, Daniel, Patrick Jamieson, and R. Kirkland Ahern (2001), "The catch-22 of smoking and quitting," in Smoking: Risk, Perception, and Policy, Paul Slovic, ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 216-28.
54. Rotfeld, Herbert J. (2003), "Convenient abusive research," Journal of Consumer Affairs, 37 (1), 191-94.
55. Rushing, Brandy (2010), "Taste test: The best light beers," Cooking Light (August), (accessed 22 October 2011), [available at http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/essentialingredients/ best-light-beers-00412000067811/].
56. Schane, Rebecca E., Stanton A. Glantz, and Pamela M. Ling (2009), "Nondaily and social smoking: An increasingly prevalent pattern," Archives of Internal Medicine, 169 (19), 1742-44.
57. Seigers, Danielle K. and Christopher P. Terry (2011), "Perceptions of risk among college smokers: Relationships to smoking status," Addiction Research and Theory, 19 (6), 504-509.
58. Shiffman, Saul, Janine L. Pillitteri, Steven L. Burton, Jeffrey M. Rohay, and Joe G. Gitchell (2001), "Smokers' beliefs about 'light' and 'ultra light' cigarettes," Tobacco Control 10 (Supplement 1), i17-i23.
59. Short, P.L. (1977), "Smoking & Health Item 7: The Effect on Marketing," prepared for BAT. Co. Ltd., Exhibit 10,585, (April 14), State of Minnesota and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota v. Philip Morris, Inc., et al., Bates No. 100427794.
60. Smith, Karen H., Mary Ann Stutts, and Gail M. Zank (2012), "An exploratory study of the behavior and perceptions of college students with respect to regular, light, and ultralight cigarettes," Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 31 (Fall), [DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jppm.09.022].
61. Solow, John L. (2001), "Exorcising the ghost of cigarette advertising past: Collusion, regulation, and fear advertising," Journal of Macromarketing, 21 (2), 135-45.
62. Song, Anna V. and Pamela M. Ling (2011), "Social smoking among young adults: Investigation of intentions and attempts to quit," American Journal of Public Health, 101 (7), 1291-96.
63. Tangari, Andrea H., Jeremy Kees, J. Craig Andrews, and Scot Burton (2010), "Can corrective ad statements based on U.S. v. Philip Morris USA Inc. Affect consumer beliefs about smoking?" Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 29 (Fall), 153-69.
64. Tindle, Hilary A., Nancy A. Rigotti, Roger B. Davis, Elizabeth M. Barbeau, Ichiro Kawachi, and Saul Shiffman (2006), "Cessation among smokers of 'light' cigarettes: results from the 2000 national health interview survey," American Journal of Public Health, 96 (8), 1498-1504.
65. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2004), The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health.
66. -(2012), Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health.
67. Wakefield, Melanie, C. Morley, J.K. Horan, and K.M. Cummings (2002), "The cigarette pack as image: new evidence from tobacco industry documents," Tobacco Control, 11 (Supplement 1), i73-i80.
68. Wilson, Nick, George Thomson, Deepa Weerasekera, Tony Blakely, Richard Edwards, Jo Peace, et al. (2009), "Smoker misperceptions around tobacco: national survey data of particular relevance to protecting maori health," The New Zealand Medicai Journal, 122 (1306), 123-27.
69. Wilson, Nick, George Thomson, Deepa Weerasekera, Jo Peace, Richard Edwards, George Thomson, and Miranda Devlin (2009), "Misperceptions of 'light' cigarettes abound: national survey data," BMC Public Health, 9, 126.