Light and Luscious? More like Loathsome and Lethal. (Now featuring Zombies!)

May 31, 2013

The tobacco industry spends more than 10 ba-ba-ba-billion dollars a year on marketing its products in the U.S. alone. That kinda puts that $9 movie you saw last night into perspective, amiright?
Luckily for Big Tobacco, marketing works. Teens who come in contact with high levels of tobacco marketing are more likely to start smoking.
Make no mistake: Tobacco companies know what they’re doing. While advertising tobacco on teen television has long been outlawed, tobacco companies still place most of their advertising where young people shop the most. On top of that, cigarette companies like Camel sell pink and teal-packaged cigarettes specifically to attract young girls:

 camel_no_92

Light and Luscious? More like Loathsome and Lethal.
That’s why SafeTeens is joining with WHO this No Tobacco Day to say enough is enough: It’s time to end tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship — to teens and to everybody.
So teens, if you’re sick of the YOLO attitude being exploited for a lethal profit, reblog this post.
If you’re sick of being referred as a potential “replacement smoker,” reblog this post.
If you’re sick of being told that cigarettes will make you x, when x equals glamorous or sexy or macho or cool or just about anything else under the sun, reblog this post.
Why? Because of those who start smoking in their teens, one in three will die from a smoking-related illness. And while we can’t stop disease, we can say no to Big Tobacco.
Reblog on Tumblr