Camels For Kids

Not since Bullwinkle has a big-nosed cartoon character been so cool -- or blundered his way into so much trouble. But Joe Camel is no ordinary creation. Conceived as a cross between Don Johnson and James Bond, the self-proclaimed "smooth character" found in Camel cigarette ads has, in the past three years, thrust the brand toward the top of the charts among the spring-break set.

Trouble is, Joe seems to be too suave for his own good. According to three studies published in last week's Journal of the American Medical Association, the debonair dromedary captures the fancy of more children than young adults. The authors allege that illegal sales of Camels to minors have skyrocketed from $6 million to $476 million a year, accounting for one-quarter of the brand's sales. Last week the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association called for a ban on all advertising or promotions that feature the radical ruminant.

The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. vehemently denies the allegations. "We can track 98% of Camel sales, and they're not going to youngsters," says David Fishel, a company spokesman. "It's simply not in our best interest for young people to smoke, because that opens the door for the government to interfere with our product."

In the first study, involving 229 preschool children, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia determined that, by age six, children recognize Joe as readily as they do Mickey Mouse. Meanwhile, adults -- the stated target of the ads -- show a much lower recognition level. By high school, according to the second study, nearly half the students say they think Joe "is cool." The third study looked at 5,040 California teenagers, ages 12 to 17, and found that Camels' increasing popularity with the 131 smokers among them paralleled the buildup of the Joe Camel ad campaign. "The fact is that the ad is reaching kids, and it is changing their behavior," says Georgia's Dr. John Richards, who worked on the first two studies.