Cigarette firms attempt to lure women

IOL: Cigarette firms attempt to lure women
Cigarette firms attempt to lure women

By Michael Kunzelman

Tobacco companies have done elaborate research on women to figure out how to hook them on smoking - even toying with the idea of chocolate-flavoured cigarettes that would curb appetite, according to a new analysis.

Researchers at Harvard University's School of Public Health said they examined more than seven million documents - some dating back to 1969, others as recent as 2000 - for new details about the industry's efforts to lure more women smokers.

Carrie Carpenter, the study's lead author, said companies' research went far beyond a marketing or advertising campaign.