Fred Flintstone's cigarette ad
Filed under: Health
I'm bothered when I hear someone deprecate a smoker, perhaps standing beside the door of an office building in a sleet storm, puffing away madly. Reformed smokers (such as me) are often the worst critics, asking with a smug self-righteousness just what it will take to convince the sad sack to finally quit.
Certainly high prices (you think gas has gone up? Look at cigarettes), smoking area restrictions and public scorn don't outweigh nicotine addiction for many. Why is it we don't sympathize with those unable to evade the drug's powerful clutches?
With smokes running $4.50 a pack in many places, a two-pack-a-day smoker (note: most smokers understate the amount they smoke) has a $56 a week, $2,912 a year monkey on his/her back. If the smoker were to quit and put the same amount in savings, in 30 years he/she could accumulate $168,761.82 before taxes. Quitting would also open more job opportunities, as some companies are unwilling to hire what they perceive (wrongly) employees who would incur more health plan charges.
What many younger people fail to understand is just how thoroughly we were brainwashed in the 50's and 60's about the benefits of smoking; relaxation, sophistication, sexiness. There was no depth to which the companies would not stoop, from coupons redeemable for gifts (and no, the rumor that an iron lung was one of the gifts was not true) to contests with magnificent prices, to coerce us to smoke.
The Marlboro Man and various celebrities pitched the cancer sticks like they were love and success wrapped in paper. Advertising works, and with the best and brightest minds dedicated to putting a Lucky in our lungs, I think its sad that we disdain those who fell for it. They deserve our sympathy.
I can't think of a better example of tobacco's determination to plant the smoking seed in even the youngest viewer than this ad from the stone age of television.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-21-2008 @ 10:58AM
Dee said...
Get over yourself. Smoking is legal. as far as paying the high price of cigarettes you would think smokers would get more respect paying the extortion money , the brainwashing is taking place now by the social engineering of the health nazi's.Why are a pack of smokes $4.50 is some places. who's making out here?
www.smokersclubinc.com
www.forces.org
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7-21-2008 @ 12:41PM
Lynda F said...
Sorry, I don't consider myself "addicted". I enjoy smoking, I enjoy the ritual of smoking.
I also no longer pay the extortion taxes on cigarettes that are used for everything non-smokers benefit from but don't want to pay increased taxes on. I make my own cigarettes now with cleaner tobacco and reasonable prices. I'll be growing my own next as I see the long arm of the healthist gestapo paying off politicians and demanding further restrictions of delivery, more taxes, etc.
Like everything in life, IF and WHEN a person is ready and REALLY wants to quit/change something..........they can and will.
I love how the tobacco industry is villified for doing the very same thing every other industry does.............promotes their product. Unless you are also against fast-food advertising, candy/soda/ice cream advertising; and let's not forget all the violent movies and games that are advertised, then the complaints against the tobacco industry are hypocritical.
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7-21-2008 @ 9:32PM
herefreeman said...
Tom,
How refreshing it is to hear “I'm bothered when I hear someone deprecate a smoker”. Many smokers have contributed greatly to this country only to be cast aside as result of fear mongering pushed by zealots not happy with their own lives so they want to control others.
“What many younger people fail to understand is just how thoroughly we were brainwashed in the 50's and 60's about the benefits of smoking; relaxation, sophistication, sexiness. There was no depth to which the companies would not stoop,”----------
The younger people of today also fail to understand how they are being brainwashed now by the anti smoker crusaders. These crusaders twist and manipulate fraudulent science and spin it with the English language.
“Advertising works, and with the best and brightest minds dedicated”------
to the crusade against smokers and will use any means to accomplish their goal. You are right that advertising and deception works. Politicians have imposed smoking bans on private property based on the new fraudulent advertisements.
“I think its sad that we disdain those who fell for it. They deserve our sympathy.”----
Save your sympathy for the loss of freedom of all persons smokers and non smokers. Fight the new age indoctrination and support personal freedom and private property rights. Your disdain should be directed at the radicals imposing their beliefs on others with the force of law. Loss of freedom should be fought not sympathized. The smokers forced by law to stand in the rain have replaced gold star identities and separate lunch counters. Smokers are not even afforded their own ghetto. “sad sack” was created by self-righteousness. Smokers F.D.R, Churchill and Stalin took the anti smokers Hitler and Mussolini to task. It is a shame they would be persecuted today.
“30 years he/she could accumulate $168,761.82 before taxes” --- We all have choices to make, some choose to enjoy life. You are definitely correct the cost is outrageous, caused mainly by excessive taxation on a target group. Over half of the cost of a pack of cigarettes goes to the government. Where will those taxes come from when smoking is eliminated?
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7-23-2008 @ 8:58AM
leslieann said...
And I wonder why I became a smoker. I watched this every day at lunch. What a crime to hook people into an addiction that will kill one of every two long term user all in the name of profits. And even now when we know how extensive the damage is caused by tobacco, we still have people so addicted that they think they won't be affected by smoking. It took me a long time to quit and I'm ashamed to say I smoked through a pregnancy and breastfeeding because I wouldn't (dind't want to ) believe it was harmful. Now some years later research is showing a direct link between adhd and other brain disfunctions and and smoking mothers and my son is one of those statistics. If only I could turn back the hands of time. Why oh why do we allow a product that when used correctly will kill us to be sold as a legal over-the-counter consumer product. The tobacco industry must be even more powerful than any of us would like to believe.
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7-24-2008 @ 2:45PM
U92 said...
"Why is it we don't sympathize with those unable to evade the drug's powerful clutches?"
For the same reason someone who may sympathize with an alcoholic's struggle with addiction will draw the line on sympathy when that alcoholic gets behind the wheel of a car and runs the sympathizer over.
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7-28-2008 @ 7:50AM
Ginny B said...
As a former smoker of 50 years I would love to be able to go back and quit. Yes, I know, all the relatives smoked, it was so acceptable, even encouraged...in the 1950's when I started.
I quit exactly 3 months ago when i learned I have lung cancer!
Too little, too late. Going through chemo is no fun and if you think the cost of cigarettes is high, the cost of treatment is outrageous. I am a 67 yr. old female who (was) in excellent health and took no medications, physically active, etc. so maybe I have a fighting chance, plus my attitude is positive & hopeful... PLEASE quit...and kids, DON"t START!
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