Five U.S. senators asked the Federal Trade Commission on Friday to investigate what they say are R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.'s attempts to appeal to teenage girls with ads for its sleekly packaged Camel No. 9 cigarettes. R.J. Reynolds launched the brand in February. It says the cigarettes are aimed at adult female smokers, a market segment where Camel has performed poorly. But anti-smoking groups and others have argued that the product — from its name, which recalls an upscale perfume, to the packaging to the ads — appears designed to lure teens or young women. (USA Today, Monday)
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