Culpable Companies

The tobacco industry commented that a recent rise in tobacco consumption in Greece was basically due to advertising. (Non-smokers Movement in Australia, 2000) Tobacco companies spend billions of dollars each year in various ways of advertising. But there are other forms of advertising. Movies show teens smoking and even have hidden advertisements themselves. In 1988, $350,000 was paid so that Marlboro cigarettes would appear in the new James Bond movie, Licensed to Kill. (Non-smokers Movement in Australia, 2000) It seems as though all cigarette advertising is aimed towards teens.

Minors are targeted with numerous kinds of merchandise. They know attracting kids is a wise investment and are punctilious with their money. For example, RJ Reynolds is company that makes Nabisco cookies and cereals. RJ Reynolds is also the company that makes Camel cigarettes. (McCuen, 1997) They make cereals and snacks appealing to children. Do you not think they can make cigarettes or related articles appealing? "It is said that 50% of teens who smoke own tobacco gear. (Non-Smokers Movement)

Sporting events are also places where tobacco companies try wheedle teens into smoking. Laws now ban the showing of Tobacco Company commercials. Even though tobacco commercials are banned, they find hiatuses and continue to show up on television. For example, tobacco companies now sponsor races and put logos on cars. (McCuen, 1997)

The two cigarette companies, Winston and Camel, had been losing sales since the mid 1960 s. When the Marlboro Man ad campaign, which was considered the most successful ad campaign in the history of advertising, featured men in cowboy hats, boots, and chaps, sales among young people surged. (McCuen, 1997) But because tobacco ads are expurgated, the Marlboro Man is almost out of reach for teenagers.

Joe Camel was a very publicized character contrived by the company RJ Reynolds. Dressed up in a black leather jacket, blue jeans, sunglasses, he was used to cajole kids into smoking, often with a cigarette in his hand. In some ads, Joe Camel would be with a friend. When scrutinized, his friend is looks like he is handing a cigarette to someone else.

The Food and Drug Administration could not sit back and let this happen any longer.

Many bills and lawsuits have been put against tobacco companies for marketing to minors. A tobacco bill that was put out a few years ago imposed financial penalties on cigarette companies that did not reduce their sales to minors by 30% over the next 5 years and 60% over the next decade. (McCuen 1997) Redoubtably, cigarette companies concocted a plan.

Cigarette companies reluctantly agreed to pay the government a stipend of up to 2 billion dollars in annual look-back penalties if youth smoking did not fall enough. (McCuen 1997) The fees would be paid by the industry as a whole without reference to which brands were popular with young people. The FDA also said that they would ban sales of tobacco products to teenagers under 18 and make retailers check for photo ID as a proof of age. (McCuen 1997) This plan would prohibit vending machine sales and outdoor advertising within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds. But keeping advertising away from teens is not enough.

Wisely, the Surgeon General is calling upon states so spend $8 billion of the tobacco companies payments on youth prevention programs. (USA Today, 2000) The Surgeon General is also calling for greater access to drugs that treat nicotine addiction and, more regulation of tobacco advertising, especially ads aimed at young people (USA Today, 2000) By taking these measures, the Federal government is trying to reach its plan of cutting tobacco use in half. D.A.R.E., a program funded by police departments, and thetruth.com, a non-profit organization, have expostulated many teens from smoking. With this coalition, youth smoking and advertising should be in decadence.

Being a teenager is more stress inducing and emotionally painful then ever. Teens today are susceptible to sex, alcohol, and tobacco everyday. Once their self-esteem is gone, it is difficult to ameliorate them. Smart companies and even better businessmen know this and use it to their advantage. As part of human nature they try to aggrandize themselves even it if is contraband. They will lie, cheat, and steal if they have to do so to gain their goals. But can you honestly say you have never short-changed someone in order to make gain? That is all that is happening, and it is destroying the lives of millions.