Blog #6

Should Tobacco Advertisement Be Banned?

            Throughout the years, the idea has been pushed around concerning banning the advertisement of alcohol and tobacco. In the last few years, the focus has been on tobacco advertising. The statistics on the death rates caused by tobacco is the main reason for this debate. “More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined”(McGinnis 5).  Tobacco use causes “443,000 deaths annually (including deaths from secondhand smoke)” (Centers 2). The grim results of these statistics appear to be excellent cause for banning tobacco advertisement. There are many people who believe that it is, and they are doing all they can to bring it to pass.

            I have never smoked, and I never will smoke. I think that being subjected to secondhand smoke it gross and inconsiderate. But, my dislike, or anyone else’s dislike for smoking, is not the issue. The fact that tobacco use is extremely detrimental to your health is not the issue either. The real issue is a matter of whether to uphold the 1^st Amendment or not. The tobacco companies have every right under the clause of free speech to advertise their cigarettes, and various other tobacco products. Their advertisements are not racially inclined, they do not “falsely advertise” their products, etc; so under the constitution they have the right to advertise.

            “The advertising-to-sales ratios for tobacco and alcohol companies are about 6 to 9 percent while the average American firm has an advertising-to-sales ratio closer to 3 percent” (Saffer 20). As can be seen by this economic statistic, tobacco advertising is extremely effective. Although it is against the Constitution to ban the advertisement of tobacco products, the FDA has made some good progress on counter-advertising in the last few years. They are now requiring certain graphic advertising to be placed on all cigarette packs and various other advertising mediums:

Cigarette packages will now carry one vivid color image and one of these warnings about the consequences of smoking: . . . "Tobacco smoke can harm your children"; "Cigarettes cause fatal lung disease" . . . "Cigarettes cause strokes and heart disease"; "Smoking during pregnancy can harm your baby" . . . "Tobacco smoke causes fatal lung disease in nonsmokers"; and "Quitting smoking now greatly reduces serious risks to your health."

The warnings, which must be in place by September 2012 . . . At least 50% of the package will have to be covered. In addition, the warnings will have to cover at least 20% of a cigarette ad. Each warning will also have a phone number -- 1-800-QUIT-NOW -- that smokers can call to get help if they want to quit. (Young 1)

The FDA claimed that the new warnings are an effort to simply help make certain that smokers “know exactly what risk they're taking” (Young 1) when they pick up a cigarette. Just as the advertising of the cigarette companies is protected under the Constitution, counter-advertising is as well.

            Our Constitution was written for a reason, and all of the Amendments that have been made to it are also extremely important. If Congress were to ban the advertisement of tobacco products, even though it is dreadfully harmful, where would it stop? As much as I detest tobacco use, I love my freedoms even more. We would eventually end up in the same situation as all the nations that are ruled by dictators; a nation devoid of freedom. I believe I will gladly settle for the lesser of the two evils; to be honest, there is not much of a contest in my mind.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Productivity Losses—United States, 2000–2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2008;”. Cdc.gov. 2011. Web. 26 April 26, 2012.

McGinnis J, Foege WH. “Actual Causes of Death in the United States”. Journal of American Medical Association. 1993. Web. 26 April 26, 2012.

Saffer, Henry. "The Control of Tobacco Advertising and Promotion". New York: Oxford University Press. 2000. Print

Young, Saundra.  "FDA reveals bigger, graphic warning labels for cigarette packages". Cnn.com. CNN News, 2 June 2011. Web. 26 April 26, 2012.