Not long ago, in the 1950s, Audrey Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich “made smoking look sensual and sophisticated” (Rodrigues, 2009). Smoking cigarettes was the definition of “cool and glamour” (Rodrigues, 2009), and Hollywood’s bad boys (such as Humphrey Bogart and James Dean) made smoking look sexy. In the fifties, smoking was seen as an acceptable social activity and it was permitted in any public place (Smoking statistics, 2009). Expensive and handmade luxury goods were available to the elite, and mass production and clever advertisement aimed at the middle class allowed smoking to spread to the masses. Business was growing and little was known about the effects of smoking on human health. By the end of the 1950s, more than half of adult Americans smoked (Smoking statistics, 2009). Around the same time, several studies showing that smoking was linked to lung cancer were published (Borio, 2003). The legal battle with the tobacco industry had started. By 1990, the tobacco industry, thanks to their money and the legal defense of ‘contributing negligence’, had won over 300 lawsuit cases in which the court ruled that “there was no evidence that smoking caused cancer” (BBC News, n.d.). Fortunately, the law climate changed in the 1990s, allowing plaintiffs to sue tobacco manufactures and hold them responsible for damage caused by their products (BBC News, n.d.). The anti-smoking campaign took over and smoke-free laws were enacted. So far, 27 states have enacted smoking bans in public places (Wikipedia, October 2011).
Today, once again, marketers are looking for ways to make smoking ‘cool’ again. This time, they are attempting to appeal to the environmentally conscious generation of today. Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, the second largest tobacco company, makes American Spirit cigarettes out of 100% organic and natural tobacco that does not contain any additives. Smokers believe that natural and organic cigarettes are safer and better than the rest of the cigarettes on the market. They believe that they are making a ‘smart choice’ by switching to Santa Fe’s cigarette brand. The American Spirit Cigarette box contains a warning on the packaging, however, that states: “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette”. The company claims that smoking is an adult choice, and that they are marketing their product only to those older than 21. Not only does the company want us to believe that they advertise their product responsibly, but they have also begun to play with sustainability and environmentally friendly practices in cigarette making industry, so as to make a smoker feel good because his or her cigarette purchase benefits small and independent tobacco growers. So for those addicted to smoking, this ‘healthier’ option is like a guilt free option that is environmentally friendly. Santa Fe advertising wants us to believe that smoking their organic cigarettes helps tobacco farmers make a better living because the company “pay[s] [its] growers twice as much per pound” (sfnc.com). This is crazy talk. It is like saying, “Smoke more, it’s for a good cause”.
On a personal note, I know how hard it is to quit smoking and how easily one can start smoking again. I quit 12 years ago and believe me, at that time, I found more reasons to keep smoking than to quit. Now I realize that smoking was never cool and glamorous. Smoking is a bad habit and a very unhealthy choice that I made. Once, I believed that smoking was the ‘it’ factor because everywhere you look, you could see people smoking. Today, I know that smoking is bad for my health and for the health of my family, and that there is no difference between a regular cigarette and one that is made of ‘natural and organic’ tobacco.
References:
Adult Cigarette Smoking in the United States: Current Estimate. (March, 2011). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.hm
Borio, G. (n.d). Tobacco Timeline: The Twentieth Century, 1950 – 1999—The Battle is joined. Retrieved on October 5, 2011 from http://www.tobacco.org/resources/history/Tobacco_History20-2.html
BBC News, (n.d). Retrieved on October 5, 2001 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/457180.stm
List of smoking bans. (October, 2011). Retrieved on October 5, 2001 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans
Natural American Spirit Cigarettes. (2010). Retrieved on October 5, 2011 from https://www.nascigs.com/Login/tabid/157/Default.aspx?returnurl=%2fdefault.aspx
Rodrigues, J. (2009). When smoking was cool, cheap, legal, and socially acceptable. Retrieved on October 5, 2011 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/01/tobacco-industry-marketing
Smoking Statistics, (2009). Retrieved on October 5, 20011 from http://www.smokingstatistics.org/Smoking_Statistics_Since_1950.asp
Amela, nice analysis on that article. The heading smoking as a good deed is a bet deceiving, it make you think that smoking is advantageous. Advertising on the 100% organic cigarettes is encouraging those who are trying to stop smoking to try the new smokes, and also encouraging other to start smoking.
ReplyDeleteThe advertisement on Ez Smoker is making it all cool to smoke anywhere. Although, i do not smoke i do not understand why you can smoke at a place with No Smoking policy just because you have an Ez smoker. I think this advertisement same as the 100% organic smokes is encouraging kids to try on smoking.