This isn't an anti-smoker post. Mostly. The target of my indignation isn't the folks who keep buying the cigarettes - it's the corporations that are making billions of dollars exploiting people. Folks on the political left attack walmart and home depots for destroying economies and ruining diversity... but I really don't see a lot of folks on the left decrying the business practice of the tobacco industry.
I think it *might* have something to do with the disproportionate number of folks on the left that happen to smoke... but that's speculation based on personal observation, on account of my lack of data on the subject.
Anyhow, it turns out that the Tobacco industry has been increasing the level of nicotine in cigarattes over the last several years. Paritcularly, cigarettes known by the industry to be purchased most by teens and minorities. Isn't that nice.
More details here: at my site.
4 comments:
This is just sick.
and to answer the question you posed on your site (you shameless self-promoter, you)
"Why on earth would smoers continue?" because NICOTINE IS ADDICTIVE.....
That's WHY the tobacco companies are increasing the amount... to keep people hooked.
you might as well ask a crackhead why they support drug dealers
or an alcoholic why they keep the bars in business
yes... I know... people can decide to quit... but once they make that decision the road to ACTUALLY QUITTING is a long & difficult one....
I've seen people close to me try to quit smoking several times....
it ain't easy, and it ain't pretty!
More & more schools are making even the staff & faculty lounges "smoke free", in the interst of setting a good example, and while i understand that logic, i can't help thinking would i want my (hypothetical) child in a classroom for 8 hours with a teacher who's dying for a smoke?
talk about cranky.
As I've posted on my blog, the solution would seem to be adaquate rage against the industry. I mean... if the Tobacco industry went around overtly supporting republicans, funded anti-abortion groups and anti-gay groups, and publically... you know, killed liberals on television, reasonable people on the left would do everything they could to quit, right?
Totally agree with you here. People on the left are too silent about smoking. One of the reasons I quit (besides health) was the implicit hypocrisy of smoking. The left should do all to make to point out how supporting tobacco (and right-wing cronies) while laying down five to six bucks a pack is talking out of both sides of one's mouth.
On a related note. If this evil people are jacking up nicotine levels here, imagine what they are doing to the rest of the globe. While smoking is down in this country, more and more people are taking up the habit around the globe, especially in poorer countries.
Tsk!Tsk!
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