Anti-Tobacco Lobby Stretching the Truth?

[42PETUNIAS]

Originally Posted by Mirai Gen

That's an extremely good point, if it weren't for the fact that it actually happens like that. I'm not knocking you or anything, but propaganda is just about as powerful a tool as peer pressure or role models as far as smoking is concerned.

I agree with you here. You can't just say that the only reason you smoke is because your friends do, it goes deeper than that, and there is no single reason why someone chooses to do something life threatening like smoking. A lot of it is based on how you viewed smoking as you grew up, how your parents feel about smoking, so much of it involves role models, as well as advertising and what you view in the media. Saying you only do it to be with your friends is just effectively refusing to blame anyone, in what is a pretty important issue these days.

[Akamaz]

I think it's funny that everyone says the tobacco industry is marketing to kids... hell, most of the time I can't find ANY marketing stuff out there. no tv or radio commercials, and i don't even remember seeing too many magazine ads anymore
are they saying that Barney is lighting up on screen, or some kids shows we aren't watching?

[Mirai Gen]

Originally Posted by Akamaz

I think it's funny that everyone says the tobacco industry is marketing to kids... hell, most of the time I can't find ANY marketing stuff out there. no tv or radio commercials, and i don't even remember seeing too many magazine ads anymore
are they saying that Barney is lighting up on screen, or some kids shows we aren't watching?

They were marketed to kids. A good example is the pictures in magazines with "Find the Camel logo" games, but there are probably better ones.

It wasn't that blatant, but than again, that was the point.

Originally Posted by Mesden

I really, really do. For as much as it's wrong to be lied about on something that'll hurt you, I think it's very discrediting to populous itself to have to lie to try and shock people into not doing something.

Hm. I'm a little torn on this issue.

On one hand, the comparison of being lied to for your own benefit definitely strikes true with me, and is one of my major irritants of my life. Plus I've always felt strongly towards the issue of the truth in press.

Yet on the other hand, smoking is one of the most addiciting habits I've seen, ever, and I feel that 'whatever gets the job done' can have merit in certain circumstances. It may be 'discrediting to the populous to lie to shock people', but if you got yourself addicted to tobacco, you may be the main person to blame, but it's not as simple as "You did this to yourself." Plus the phrase 'fighting fire with fire' seems to make sense in this context.

Damn it. Now I don't know.

[Akamaz]

Originally Posted by Mirai Gen

but it's not as simple as "You did this to yourself." .

I'd say anyone who started smoking in the past say... 10 years can have that applied to themselves, since "the truth" and other things like that have been around that long.

[POS Industries]

Originally Posted by Mirai Gen

They were marketed to kids. A good example is the pictures in magazines with "Find the Camel logo" games, but there are probably better ones.

It wasn't that blatant, but than again, that was the point.

Oh yeah, I mean, back in the early decades of TV and radio, they were trying to get kids to light up all the time. My personal favorite is the clip of Fred Flintstone lighting up and saying, "Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should!"

Yet on the other hand, smoking is one of the most addiciting habits I've seen, ever, and I feel that 'whatever gets the job done' can have merit in certain circumstances. It may be 'discrediting to the populous to lie to shock people', but if you got yourself addicted to tobacco, you may be the main person to blame, but it's not as simple as "You did this to yourself." Plus the phrase 'fighting fire with fire' seems to make sense in this context.

I agree that, if you're trying to bring down an industry that produces a highly addictive toxic product with absolutely no beneficial properties (which should be illegal, really), greater steps must be taken. The problem is, these are not those steps.

Misleading the public in such a way, through these methods, mostly just sets up your cause for failure. You go on national television and make an easily refutable claim like this (and yes, it is easily refuted, as I'm just some fucktard on the internet and I managed to whip this whole thing up in about half an hour) and you come out looking like fools and/or just outright turning most people against you.

If you're gonna save the world from smoking, I would only hope that you'd go about it better than this.

[Fifthfiend]

the clip of Fred Flintstone lighting up and saying, "Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should!"

...what, seriously?

[Nique]

YA RLY

[Mirai Gen]

Originally Posted by POS Industries

I agree that, if you're trying to bring down an industry that produces a highly addictive toxic product with absolutely no beneficial properties (which should be illegal, really), greater steps must be taken. The problem is, these are not those steps.

Misleading the public in such a way, through these methods, mostly just sets up your cause for failure. You go on national television and make an easily refutable claim like this (and yes, it is easily refuted, as I'm just some fucktard on the internet and I managed to whip this whole thing up in about half an hour) and you come out looking like fools and/or just outright turning most people against you.

If you're gonna save the world from smoking, I would only hope that you'd go about it better than this.

Yeah, I can agree to that. I've burned off most of the rest of my hesitation, and I guess I can agree that this is a pretty lousy way to do things.

[Mesden]

Originally Posted by POS Industries

I agree that, if you're trying to bring down an industry that produces a highly addictive toxic product with absolutely no beneficial properties (which should be illegal, really).

Why so? I thought one of the better things about a "free" country was the right to do what we want with our bodies, similar to Alcohol.

I know cigarettes are a horrible little stick of nasty, but the sentiment that we'd outlaw just any product that's healthy, yes even severely unhealthy, markets to me as less then very free for our individual selves.

[42PETUNIAS]

Originally Posted by Mesden

Why so? I thought one of the better things about a "free" country was the right to do what we want with our bodies, similar to Alcohol.

I know cigarettes are a horrible little stick of nasty, but the sentiment that we'd outlaw just any product that's healthy, yes even severely unhealthy, markets to me as less then very free for our individual selves.

So you think that it would be fine if the government made heroin, PCP, and all those other hardcore drugs legal, and used corrupt marketing techniques to pressure children into trying and getting addicted to it? I mean, that's a pretty slippery slope, because it's pretty hard to draw a fine line at how far you can damage your body.