Big tobacco companies are looking for new ways to market products to young people in America.

Tobacco companies have started advertising on social networking Web sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

Jeffrey Wigand, a former tobacco executive who operates the nonprofit organization Smoke-Free Kids, said while it is hard to tell how successful the Web site advertising is, it has to make sense for the companies.

“It’s happening — we haven’t been able to quantify it,” Wigand said. “They wouldn’t be doing it if they weren’t reaching somebody. They don’t do things without studying it for a while.”

“The Insider,” a 1999 film starring Russell Crowe, depicted Wigand’s true story of being attacked by tobacco companies after he exposed their perjury to the United States Congress.

Eighteen percent of high school students smoke in Michigan, which equates to about 298,000 minors. About 16,000 minors become new daily smokers each year, according to tobaccofreekids.org.

Warren freshman Emily Teceno said she does not think it is right for tobacco companies to advertise on social networking sites such as Facebook.

“I think it’s unfair, just cause it makes it look cool,” she said.

Teceno was not the only student to object to the advertising.

“It wouldn’t bother me too much,” said Ortonville freshman John Eldon. “But it does seem unethical to market through social networking because there’s a lot of young people.”

New products

Social networking Web sites are not the only way tobacco companies are marketing to youth.

Camel cigarettes designed smokeless products intended to be a gateway to cigarettes, Wigand said.

The new products include Camel Orbs, Strips and Sticks. The Orbs are pellets comparable in size to Tic Tacs, and the tobacco and nicotine is released as the tablet dissolves.
The strips are similar to breath strips, and the sticks are similar to twisted toothpicks.

The new products allow people to use tobacco without smoking or spitting.

Monroe sophomore Sara Hendershot believes the products could be successfully marketed to the youth.

“I personally am not for tobacco. I wouldn’t take part in it,” Hendershot said.

The new Orbs and Strips are not yet available in Michigan.

Camel is testing them in Portland, Ore., Indianapolis and various markets in Ohio. If the test markets yield successful results, the products could be coming to Michigan if those test markets yield successful results.

“The industry continues to find ways to make a profit in spite of public safety,” Wigand said. “They keep finding new ways and new tricks to come after our kids.

“Our children are their currency.”

E-mail the author: Ryan Czachorski