Are Lawsuits Against Tobacco Companies Justified?

9 Pages 2315 Words

Until the approach of the 20th century, tobacco use had a rather small impact upon human health. Before cigarettes became popular, other tobacco products had taken a toll, but there is a strong distinction between the pre- and post-cigarette eras. For many centuries, tobacco use did not involve direct inhalation into the lungs. Only during the past century has tobacco smoke been inhaled on a regular and continuous basis by a large portion of our population (Whelan, 1984, 28). The 1800s were an exciting period for tobacco in the United States. It was in this century that the use of snuff gave way to continued use of pipes and increased popularity of cigars. Toward its end, the cigarette emerged as the new champion in tobacco (Whelan, 1984, 35).
It would be ludicrous to discuss the history of the cigarette without discussing the history of cigarette advertising. Cigarettes and advertising have always gone together. Unlike some products, such as soap or cereal, cigarettes probably never would have achieved a true mass market in the United States without advertising. Advertisers have never had much more to sell than the “sizzle” of cigarettes (White, 118). Unlike candy or liquor, products which have their own payoff, cigarettes taste horrible to anyone who as never smoked and the nicotine kick is not exactly euphoric. It takes a certain amount of perseverance to learn to smoke, so young people have to be motivated by peer pressure, which is generated, at least in part, by alluring advertising. The Marlboro man and his imitators flying helicopters or riding motorcycles are embedded in the minds of Americans. The glamorous Virginia Slims models advertise “pleasure” (White, 115). These advertising techniques certainly have an effect on the viewers. The viewers see these advertisements and want to have that same image for themselves, so they are drawn to go out and buy that cigarette brand. Although it is the advertising that re...