Smoke and Mirrors - Big Tobacco's Dirty Tricks

No ifs, ands or butts. We are against the tobacco industry. Here are our top ten reasons why:

10. Big Tobacco is greedy

In 2001, over 40 billion cigarettes (42,301 billion) were sold in Canada.^[1]   They are one of the biggest profit making industries in the country.

9. Big Tobacco needs YOUth

Honest!! In a desperate attempt to recover their shrinking market of youth smokers, tobacco companies have begun to promote mini-cigars or cigarillos to youth. Cigarillos are often fruit, candy or alcohol-flavoured, and can be purchased in any convenience store either as singles in plastic tubes or in packs of 4-8, at cheaper, more youth friendly prices. ^[2]

8. Big Tobacco manipulates kids

Big Tobacco recruits youth by developing product brand images that show independence, freedom and peer acceptance. They portray smokers as attractive, autonomous, accepted and admired, and athletic.^[3]

7. Big Tobacco is two-faced

All across Canada, tobacco companies have launched so-called “prevention” programs that they say are designed to discourage youth from smoking. Studies have shown that in some cases, these programs actually reinforce youth’s natural tendency to rebel and so encourage them to smoke.

6. Big Tobacco is stupid

The tobacco industry has stated that drinking one to two glasses of whole milk a day is riskier than second-hand smoke.^[4]  Say, whaaat?

5. Big Tobacco uses teen and child movies to promote cigarettes

It’s no secret. Tobacco companies work closely with Hollywood to promote smoking in movies. (For more on this check out the section “Lights, Camera, Addiction! Smoking and Movies”)

4. Big Tobacco is racist

Tobacco companies have labeled African Americans less educated; prefer malt liquor; have problems with their own self-esteem.^[5]

3. Big Tobacco uses child labour

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) child labour is widespread in all major tobacco producing countries.^[6]

2. Big Tobacco is bad for the environment.

Tobacco companies often grow tobacco using pesticides and herbicides on land that has been recently deforested.^[7]

1. Big Tobacco is watching you

Although they have stated publicly that they don’t want minors to smoke,^[8] internal industry documents have proven that they keep an extremely close eye on the youth market and have developed strategies to encourage youth to smoke.^[9]   For example, a Philip Morris research report stated that "It is important to know as much as possible about teenage smoking patterns and attitudes. Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while still in their teens."^[10]

For more info about the tobacco industry, check out the Tobacco Industry Tactics tab in our Homework Help section.