The American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids are releasing a new report on the latest wave of tobacco company marketing to women and girls.  This report details the marketing of R.J. Reynolds' Camel 9 and Philip Morris's Virginia Slims Purse Packs.  It puts that marketing into the context of the industry's long history of targeting women and girls and outlines the devastating impact of that marketing on women's health.

The report points to the need for Congress to pass legislation giving the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products, including the marketing of products like those outlined in the report.   At the state level, the report can also be used to point to the need for tobacco control measures like funding for comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation programs, smoke-free laws and increased tobacco taxes.

AHA CEO Nancy Brown is featured in the video clip below.