The media has been used to advertise and publicize countless products as their popularity has fluctuated over the decades, tobacco in particular. Tobacco is one of the few products that is widely known as being hazardous to one’s health, yet so many people continue to smoke cigarettes and use other tobacco products.
One would think that since it is publicly known how harmful cigarettes are, that people would wish to stop smoking, and prevent others from doing so as well, but that is not exactly the case. Smoking is all around us; it’s inescapable, in the media, culture, and so much of our daily life. It is a habit that many people pick up and enjoy for their personal reasons, although knowingly putting their health at risk. Our generation of young adult smokers has been increasing and makes up approximately fifteen percent of cigarette smokers in the U.S., which is quite surprising considering older smokers have decreased to about seven percent nationwide.
The average age of first time tobacco use is eighteen years old, primarily because that is the age when the generation initially goes off to college, can legally buy tobacco in most states, and is most susceptible to products that they want to try and experiment with. There are many restrictions on the media as far as how to advertise tobacco products. Young adults see that smoking is everywhere; especially with countless students having an interest in such products, since young people often do not seem to care about the detrimental health effects.
Public advertisements for tobacco monopolized the radio and television until January 2, 1971, when the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act was passed by Congress and publically went into effect. The legal ban against smokeless tobacco advertisements did not go into effect until August 28, 1986. After the 1971 smoking act was passed, advertisements for tobacco were primarily produced in print, such as in newspapers, magazines, and billboards.
Even though it is technically regulated and illegal for companies to publicize tobacco on the television, countless TV shows do not restrict characters from smoking cigarettes. Smoking is a major way to characterize people and give them personal traits and habits, whether or not they are healthy qualities. The media exposes children of all ages to a certain viewpoint of tobacco. In order to make a significant profit, companies will blatantly publicize tobacco as though it is a positive substance. When surrounded by it for so long, children will grow up having this mindset and possibly feel it customary to join the supposed norm of smoking in order to fit in since that may be what they have become accustomed to.
Before tobacco advertisements were prohibited on TV and radio, the commercials would primarily advertise cigarettes, which are a harmful product, as being a positive item for consumption. Advertisements in the media always seem to find loopholes around the truth to make them more appealing to the general public, who may not be very knowledgeable about the products. This is why it is extremely beneficial that within recent years, a number of the “truth” TV ads, directed primarily at the younger generation, have made a major effort to spread awareness in the media about how harmful tobacco is as a substance. Proving that, aside from trying to advertise to gain a financial profit, the media can be used as both a positive and negative force towards the younger generations in particular.
Tobacco companies advertise and inform the public in different ways in order to properly attract the smokers for their specific tobacco products. The companies are required to visibly print a warning somewhere on the package, although they may do this by displaying a simple note or phrase referencing a general health risk in small print on the side or bottom of the cigarette box. Even with a noted warning on the package, companies may not seem to have a bias for whoever purchases their tobacco products as long as they continue to have efficient sales, but different cigarette types and assortments have been advertised towards specific demographics.
Each brand and type of cigarette is slightly different because it is specially classified and directed at a certain type of person, although this may not be obvious to the general public. Specifically, the 1920’s began the era when cigarettes primarily for women were heavily publicized, such as Virginia Slims. Slims and light brands of cigarettes would often appeal towards women in light of being classy, sophisticated, and keeping their physical appearance as they prefer. In addition, some brands even advertise using a media icon, like how Marlboro has the Marlboro Man. He is an average guy who smokes cigarettes, but not just any cigarettes, Marlboros, since they’re displayed as being perfect for the typical American guy.
As young children grow up with advertisements and people smoking ads and billboards surrounding them, one in five young adults will pick up the habit and struggle to quit, if and when they choose to. The generation of young smokers continues to increase, but the government and nation as a whole is making a significant effort to prevent the media from further publicizing and supporting this addictive habit. As a struggling smoker, President Obama wants to help prevent the younger generations from being blatantly exposed to smoking.
Obama publicly began the fight to prevent the young generations from smoking so excessively by signing a bill in June of 2009. The bill is referred to as the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. It gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration significant powers to regulate tobacco and the media’s use of tobacco towards the younger generations. Under this new law, the FDA will be able to prohibit cigarette advertising, specifically those that target children, and ban flavored cigarettes and labels such as “low tar” and “light” cigarettes. This will limit the exposure of tobacco advertisements surrounding young children, in hopes of preventing the young generation of children from growing up with an interest and acceptance to smoking cigarettes.
By Amanda Clinton
No comments:
Post a Comment