While media are mostly focused on whether fruit- and candy-flavored e-cigarettes are hooking children, public health experts say a similar issue is smoldering with much less attention.

Cigars modified to taste like chocolate, strawberry, fruit punch and other popular flavors have spurred an explosive growth in consumption, particularly among young people, say scientists at the Rutgers' Center for Tobacco Studies.

"The cigar market is the most heavily flavored of all tobacco products and for decades, tobacco industry internal documents have highlighted that flavors appeal to youth and young people," says director Cristine Delnevo. "What we found was that the preference for flavored brands was high among females, minorities and young people."

In a recent national survey of 6,700 people age 12 and older who reported smoking cigars in the previous month, the researchers found that 94 percent of females reported smoking a flavored brand compared with 70 percent for males. In age breakdowns, 95 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds favored a flavored brand compared to 63 percent of those aged 35 and older. Black cigar smokers preferred flavored cigars over white and Hispanic smokers.

"These results didn't surprise us, especially since females and young people tend to smoke menthol cigarettes because it masks the harshness of tobacco," Delnevo said.

The Food and Drug Administration is in the process of developing new rules to regulate use of cigars, pipe tobacco and e-cigarettes.

BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

The thickness of your skin varies from half a millimeter to six millimeters (the latter slightly thicker than a nickel), depending upon the area of the body. The thinnest skin is around the eyes; the thickest on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet.

GET ME THAT. STAT!

The country with the greatest per capital annual consumption of tobacco cigarettes is Serbia, at 2,869 cigarettes per adult smoker per year, followed by Bulgaria (2,822) and Greece (2,795). The United States is 51st at 1,028 cigarettes per adult per year. Guinea has the lowest per capita consumption rate at just 9 cigarettes per capita annually.

NUMBER CRUNCHER

A large order of Arby's curly fries (100 grams) contains 300 calories, 150 from fat. It has 16.7 grams of total fat, or 26 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

It also contains zero cholesterol; 676 milligrams of sodium (28 percent); 35.2 grams of total carbohydrates (12 percent); 3.8 grams of dietary fiber; no sugar; and 3.3 grams of protein.

MANIA OF THE WEEK

Bruxomania — compulsion for grinding teeth

NEVER SAY DIET

The Major League Eating speed-eating record for sweet corn on the cob is 46 ears in 12 minutes, held by Joe LaRue. Warning: Most of these records are held by professional eaters; the rest by people who really should find something better to do.

BEST MEDICINE

Guy No. 1: "Last week I got eczema, diarrhea, gonorrhea and hemorrhoids."

Guy No. 2: "My god, why are you smiling?"

Guy No. 1: "It's the first time I've ever won a game of Scrabble."

OBSERVATION

"Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do 'practice?'" — Comedian George Carlin (1937-2008)

CURTAIN CALLS

In 1834, the Scottish botanist David Douglas died when he fell into a pit trap and was trampled by a wild bull, also entrapped.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.