n November 27, 2001, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) released a comprehensive new report detailing the 50-year history of light and low-tar cigarettes and their impact on the public's health. The report is the most comprehensive and conclusive ever showing that there is no health benefit to smoking light and low tar cigarettes. In other words, smoking "light" cigarettes carries the same risk of lung cancer, heart attacks and other tobacco-caused disease as regular cigarettes. The report also concludes that the marketing of these products as delivering less tar and reducing risk is "deceptive" and smokers' choice of these products as an alternative to quitting makes this deception an "urgent public health issue."

There are two clear messages to be taken from this groundbreaking new report:

If smokers are concerned about their health, there is only one solution - to quit smoking. There is no significant health difference between any of the cigarettes currently on the market. Misunderstanding of the health implications of the terms "light" and "low-tar" have led millions of Americans to use these products thinking they were safer. It is critical that a major public education campaign be initiated to counter these misconceptions.

The terms "light", "low tar" and "ultra light" are deceptive and should be eliminated. It is time to end the special exemption tobacco receives from oversight by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Congress should grant the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products, including the ability to ban the terms "light", "ultra-light" and "low-tar." Until Congress acts, we call on the tobacco industry to do so on their own.