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Harsh words for Phillip Morris By Vicki Guarino A cigarette maker�s insistence that it is trying hard to turn away young customers met a skeptical audience Thursday in a forum led by the Oregon Attorney General. Philip Morris executives told a state Kids and Tobacco meeting at Hedrick Middle School that teenagers are not the target of advertising and other marketing efforts. "It�s not in our best interest that kids smoke and that kids have access to cigarettes," said Philip Morris marketing executive Cesar Vargas, of Sacramento. "We are trying to change the way kids think about smoking and hopefully reduce teen smoking over time," said company representative Karen Daragan, of New York. She is part of a 12-member office charged by Philip Morris with finding ways to discourage teens from smoking. But a member of the Attorney General�s Kids and Tobacco committee noted that the head of Daragan�s department was involved in a now-infamous Philip Morris internal memo asserting "today�s teenager is tomorrow�s regular customer." The memo came out in the course of states� litigation against major tobacco manufacturers, the settlement of which has launched such efforts as the Kids and Tobacco campaign. The committee appointed by Attorney General Hardy Myers is traveling the state gathering information about the kinds of legislation, programs and policies needed to reduce teens� tobacco use. A few committee members and others in the forum�s audience questioned the sincerity of Philip Morris� avowed new direction. Anti-smoking advocates locally and around the country complain that cigarette makers still target youngsters to assure a continuing demand for their product, despite prohibitions in the settlement. Several committee members questioned the Philip Morris representatives about studies showing that cigarette advertising has increased in youth-oriented magazines . The Philip Morris officials said their company has temporarily pulled ads from some magazines � Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone were mentioned � while executives study the youth readership question. Local anti-smoking advocates say they have particular reason to worry about marketing efforts by retailers as well as manufacturers. Most recent local surveys show teen use of tobacco increasing. A survey by the state and Southern Oregon Drug Awareness released last summer showed that tobacco use among Jackson County high school juniors jumped nearly 10 percent in two years. Among sixth-graders, tobacco use here was nearly double the usage statewide. Tobacco Prevention Education Program of Jackson County staff member Kimo Holgen criticized Myers and the committee for permitting the Philip Morris presentation. He said the company�s presence undercut community efforts to reduce teen smoking. Holgen rejected company claims to be an ally in those efforts and doubted the sincerity of campaigns outlined by Daragan. Tobacco is seen by health professionals as an immediate risk to youth and a long-term hazard due to its habit-forming nature. The committee�s sessions � Medford�s forum was the third of six � have drawn anti-smoking educators, medical and social service professionals and teens. A panel of Hedrick seventh-graders presented the committee with results of their student survey. Their work showed that while an overwhelming majority of their class recognized the health dangers of tobacco, they saw themselves as vulnerable. Seeing friends, parents and other adults smoke made smoking appear alluring. "There should be a law against smoking around children," panel member Kelci Woodbury told the committee. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA