Anti-Smoking Group Objects to Marketing of “Eco-Friendly” Cigarettes

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is objecting to new ads promoting a brand of cigarettes as “eco-friendly,” USA Today reports. The term appears in ads for National American Spirit cigarettes, which appear in magazines including Esquire, Elle, Marie Claire and Wired.

Vince Willmore, of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, called the ad “egregious.” “It’s trying to greenwash a deadly and addictive product. When you hear a product is eco-friendly, you think it’s better for you,” he told the newspaper.  He cited research showing cigarettes are the prime source of litter. The group is calling on National American Spirit and its owner, Reynolds American Inc., to immediately end the ad campaign.

National American Spirit and Reynolds responded that the ads are not saying its cigarettes are safer, but that they are made in an ecologically-friendly manner, using wind-powered facilities and fewer chemicals. The company also reports 70 percent of its sales staff drives hybrid vehicles.