IT’S A TRAP ...

There has been a disturbing trend in Maryland: since 2000, the use of cigars – including little cigars (brown cigarettes) and cigarillos (small cigars) – has increased among underage youth.   According to the 2010 Maryland Youth Tobacco Survey, underage youth are now smoking cigars at the same rate as cigarettes and more than half of Maryland high school youth who use tobacco are smoking cigars.

Little cigars and cigarillos are attractive, accessible, and affordable for young people as they come in fruit and candy flavors, are sometimes sold individually, and are inexpensive—often costing less than an ice cream cone or candy.