Tobacco Companies to Kids: Be Cool, Try It!
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Would you believe that eating lots of apple sauce is no more dangerous than smoking cigarettes?
Would you believe that some pregnant women like to smoke so they can have babies that are smaller?
Would you believe the Flintstones smoked cigarettes?
Chances are, if you are educated enough to access this blog, you wouldn’t believe any of the above statements and recognize them for what they are – poppycock (with the exception of the Flintstones, whose illustrators took part in advertisements for Winston cigarettes).
However, up until approximately twelve years ago, the tobacco industry would have had you believe that cigarettes were not bad for you, but were in fact good for you. Indeed, it wasn’t until 1997 that a single tobacco company finally admitted that cigarette smoking causes cancer, heart disease and that cigarettes were marketed to children.
Here are some additional facts concerning children and cigarettes that may shock you:
Approximately 89% of people who smoke began smoking before the age of 18. Accordingly, most experts agree that the tobacco companies have traditionally targeted their advertisements to adolescents. Adolescents, as most of us know from experience, are impressionable and often suffer from a lack of self esteem (what teenager hasn’t gone through an awkward phase). Iconic figures created by the tobacco industry such as Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man provide adolescents with an example of confidence, strength and coolness, with a little rebellion mixed in (what teenager hasn’t wanted to rebel against authority). The message the tobacco industry is sending is clear: Kids, if you want to be strong, confident, cool and springboard into adulthood, light up a cigarette. Don’t take my word for it…the tobacco industry has admitted in numerous internal documents that kids as young as 14 were in their target group. Have a look at the chilling statistics cited at Tobacco Free Kids. While you’re there, take a look at some of the ads the tobacco industry has published in the USA and throughout the world with two goals in mind: To get people (kids, it would seem) to become and remain smokers.
