No Jokin about smokin.
We recently discussed in class about advertising, I decided to do my blog about tobacco advertisements and how it affects all. “Tobacco companies spent 12.5 billon or a more astounding number 34 million dollars a day on advertising in 2002” (Federal Trade Commission, 2004).I think it’s obvious that kids think its cool to smoke, because what they see in TV and movies. Once teens take they take their first puff many of them take another and this can lead to an addiction, it sucks but it really happens. I myself have never tried cigarettes because I have learned a lot in school that they are bad and you can addicted, it seems like a waste of money to me. Another interesting fact is that a study showed that 8 out of 10 adults that smoke say they started when they were just teens, and have been hooked ever since. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2004). Nicotine is easier to get addicted to if you try it at a young age. I also learned from my source, that nicotine can reach the brain in as little as 30 seconds, than the brain releases dopamine and gives you the feel good sensation. Brown & Williamson has introduced flavored versions of its Kool cigarettes with names like “Caribbean Chill,” “Midnight Berry,” “Mocha Taboo” and “Mintrigue.”(Source 3). These flavored cigarettes are definitely catching the eye of younger people, I don’t think I know any adults that want to smoke Mocha Taboo, but the name is catchy and definitely would catch the attention of a young kid. If you look at this picture http://tobaccofreekids.org/adgallery/display.php3?ID=406 you will see a HIP cigarette box, which is an advertisement for cool to kids, I mean it shows a club like scene which means if you smoke these you will be cool to! I believe that the only reason smoking is legal, because it is shown to be addicting and a cancer causing substance is because the government gets 7 billon dollars from the taxing of this substance, that’s a lot of money to get for letting them kill themselves. I mean if advertisement of cigarettes ever was banished these sales would be nowhere. I mean it’s obvious that this is not good for you yet the government lets it go on, the 7 billion the government is pretty much shadowed by the 72.5 billon dollars spend on taking care of people that have cigarette related sicknesses. I know this blog has a lot of numbers but it opens my eyes that smoking is a joke, it’s a rip off 2000 dollars annually average for a buying cigarettes, I rather keep my health and buy a new computer or something, rather than killing my internal organs and dying at a young age. Advertising is catchy and it sucks that we can watch a infomercial and get sucked into to buying a sucky vaccum but it really sucks when you get advertised cigarettes and end up getting hooked to them, than possible dying.
http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_tobacco.shtml source 1
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/1998/0916/smoking.html source 2
http://tobaccofreekids.org/reports/targeting/ source 3
This looks like a bomb by the way, and it seems like its gonna say F U.
I agree, smoking is bad and in my eyes is not cool because it gives me a head-ache. With cigarettes its a tricky subject though, because no matter what you do people will always purchase them. And i feel that even if cigarettes were not advertised people would still go out and purchase them.
-Copshop
The seven billion dollars from taxes, help police officers, public shcools, hospitals, etc. The tax is none of my concern, if people chose to kill themselves than that is there problem, Nobody is forcing cigarettes down anybodiy’s throats, they are advertising their product, just like any other comapny, if people want to smoke that is their decision. The government also spends several million dollars on advertising that goes against the use of cigarettes, and the governement even banned tv ads for cigarettes. So while I agree with you that smoking is not a wise decision, it is a decision that people have the free will to make.
James Butters
Nice, Dennis (I assume). I liked the sources you used, although the wording of the first one is confusing (12.5 billion vs. 34 million?). The packaging of cigarettes is a good point. However, I still have to disagree with you that the ATHF guy looks like a bomb. He clearly doesn’t in my opinion.
yes, james your right. i know a lot of people smoke and im sorry to sound like its my choice to tell them not to do it, but it is addicting, I mean any adult that i ask why do you do that? There reply is always idk, they never have a good answer. Also if you usually ask someone why they dont quit, its common to hear them say “i wish i could”. Its a hard subject. o well. better never to start than try to quit.
dennis
I agree, smoking is a great way for us to make money. But the effects it has on our bodies should be more important to us. And in my personal opinion i think smoking is absolutley disgusting and i don’t appreciate it when people do it around me.
gabi
I think the government is partly to blame because they can save a lot of money if they just ban ads. for smoking. They already spend so much money on helping taking care of people that have cigarette related sicknesses, so if they just banned ads. for smoking they can save a lot of money and life’s.
Alauna Pierce
Alauna has an interesting point, here.