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as sponsoring cultural and entertainment events. A 1993 study conducted in San Diego found that the concentration of tobacco advertising billboards was highest in Asian American communities, and was lowest in the predominately white communities. Of course, billboard advertising of tobacco products is no longer permitted.

Because these relatively new restrictions hinder tobacco marketing in the U.S., the tobacco companies have figured out not only how to enlarge their consumer base overseas, but also how to reach them before they become immigrants to the U.S., capitalizing on the social acceptability of smoking within their original cultures.

Tobacco companies say they are not encouraging nonsmokers in Asia to start smoking. Instead, they say that they are only trying to get existing smokers to switch to their brands (which is also their claim regarding marketing in the U.S.) But why would the tobacco industry market cigarettes designed specifically for women - in Hong Kong, where the number of women who smoke is extremely low? The total market base of women in Hong Kong who already smoke, and might be convinced to change brands, must be ridiculously small. And yet, in 1991, Philip Morris stopped featuring Caucasian women in their Virginia Slims advertisements and began the "Find Your Voice" campaign, featuring women of various ethnicities, including Asians.

Numerous attempts to reach the major tobacco companies in order to get their point of view were unsuccessful. Only Greg Mathe, a spokesperson for Philip Morris USA, was willing to be interviewed. He could not speak for Philip Morris International, saying he only represented Philip Morris USA. Mr. Mathe says that his company discontinued magazine advertising in 2005. He also pointed to their website, www.QuitAssist.com as an example of their commitment to the "support of responsible tobacco use." Mr. Mathe did concede that their website was only available in English and Spanish.

The tobacco industry has turned cultural demographics into a marketing science, determining usage patterns, purchasing habits, brand awareness, and flavor preferences for nearly every country in the world, and every major ethnic group in America. Our own government has perpetuated this problem even further by pushing for agreements that encourage free trade in cigarettes, providing a new and growing market for American based tobacco companies.

A report published in 2005 by the Journal of Immigration Health said that "the majority of our

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