Up in Smoke

Why do many foreigners associate Aspen with asthma, emphysema, and lung cancer? According to a January 1999 Aspen Times Weekly story, Aspen brand cigarettes are the smoke of choice in many third-world countries. Which is doubly ironic considering that Aspen, Colorado has some strict antismoking laws on its books. Still, we see a marketing opportunity for the Aspen Skiing Company: They could, in all seriousness, claim that Baghdad is addicted to Aspen.