WE CAN HELP YOU SMOKE MORE ——– by Steve Nadis
If you believe the P.R. campaign, you’d think Philip Morris actually wanted people to quit smoking. In recent advertisements, Philip Morris touts its QuitAssist program, as if that was the main thing the company did. Amidst this publicity blitz, they’ve been quietly increasing the nicotine yield per cigarette, as reported in last week’s Boston Globe. Between 1998 and 2004, according to a Massachusetts Department of Public Health study, the nicotine yield of two Philip Morris brands–Marlboro and Basic–went up 9% and 13% respectively. In that same period, the nicotine yield of other cigarettes, made by other manufacturers, went up by as much 20%. But the cigarette companies are not talking about how they’re boosting levels of this highly addictive chemical to get people hooked and keep them hooked for good. Instead they’re telling us about all they’re doing to help consumers–the same folks who shell out billions a year–break their addiction to cigarettes. Why don’t Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds, and Lorillard just come out and say: “Thank you for smoking!”
Posted by in 03:49:29
It always puzzled me how States & Commonwealths have often, in the past, upped the tax on cigarette sales to help balance their budgets. Sorta like making a financial crutch thicker & thicker as it loses it’s height. Eventually, the suport crumbles. And where does a chunk of that tax money go? To support public hospitals treating older patients for heart disease & lung cancer that can’t afford to pay- cuz they’re BROKE after paying out all that tax money- buying “smokes”!! Tax Crutch crushing victims, as it were. (whatkindofaWorldDoWeLivein?)
Good question, Marco. What kind of world DO we live in?
Marco is onto some shit right here. The irony of our government and the rest of the general American public is that while we have been involved in The War on Drug since the 80’s, the ‘legal’ drugs have become more addictive, more economically draining, and more deadly to our society than anything that has remained illegal. You want to ‘win’ this said war? Make the gateway drugs less like the real thing… that might be a start.
Good point, GS, though it would be hard to call the conventional “war on drugs” a great success.