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Please allow me to preface this commentary by stating that I am not a smoker. Personally, I find cigarette smoke to be rather nauseating. However, if I turn on my television and see one more pretentious environmental studies student at Self Righteous State University opining about how I should live my life, I may just force myself to start smoking.
You’ve undoubtedly seen the commercials — body bags stacked by the hundreds outside of a tobacco company building; the plastic baby left in a carriage with an index card conveying the atrocities of secondhand smoke; and even those cunning lads attempting to send arsenic and cyanide through the mail via a cigar box filled with cigarettes. These public service announcements have been brought to us courtesy of the Whitelies.tv, which has been funded by the Indiana Tobacco Cessation & Prevention organization coincidentally also via the MSA. The spots feature youngsters sardonically describing how they hope to die from lung cancer, heart disease, or anything else “big tobacco” may force on them.
Again, while the sentiment of preventing children from the dangers of cancer is admirable, its origin is anything but. Since the ITCP Web site explicitly lists one of its primary goals as “changing the cultural perception and social acceptability of tobacco use in Indiana,” civil libertarians can not help but question this type of social persuasion espoused by the state and federal governments.
Many concerned parents and supporters of these ads argue that their children need to be educated about the dangers of smoking, and rightfully so. Smoking is very dangerous. Contrary to what anyone in the tobacco industry may profess, it does cause cancer, heart disease, and a whole gamut of other health problems. What parents should be concerned with, however, is who is doing the educating. Why does the government need to fund an array of objectionable agencies to tell their children something they can do themselves at home for free?
Some also argue that the government is not funding these ads, but the tobacco companies are via the MSA. However, even if that is the case, it will not be for long. According to Mark Schmidt, Director of Programs at the National Taxpayers Union, the rush to fund new programs with tobacco money could actually increase the burden on taxpayers forced to underwrite programs that survive long after the settlement dollars are spent.
“The rationale is clear,” Schmidt said. “Have you ever heard of a government program being abolished? It’s also a collective action problem. As soon as a program receives government funding, yet another special interest group arises to demand continued funding of their pet program.”
What’s more, even if this money was to be solely funded by “big tobacco,” are there not better ways to spend it? Every time one of these superfluous public service debaucheries invades the television, one has to wonder if there could be a more appropriate way to spend this money. How about supplying public schools with proper supplies so already underpaid teachers don’t have to shell out their own money just for their students to have proper utensils? Just a thought.
Another argument often made is that tobacco needs to be a paramount issue due to the economic strain it puts on other members of society. According to the “whitelies” website, tobacco related medical expenditures result in over $1.6 billion a year in Indiana, which comes out to about $275 for every person in the state. This is undoubtedly true — those who do not smoke are indeed being punished by the plight and ill-health of those that do. That, however, just exploits the inevitable drawbacks of living in a society in which an entire citizenry is punished for the hazardous behavior of the minority.
The problem with these ads is that not only are they redundant — we get it, smoking kills — but they are ultimately helping to destroy the notion of individual responsibility that is inherent to the necessary functions of a free society. By saying, “hey kids, you’re being victimized because you can’t think for yourself so let big brother tell you what’s good for you and protect you from those capitalist monsters,” you create a society of victims who will endlessly be forced to rely on the government’s ideals, not to mention its subsidies, instead of their own ingenuity. Most economists will tell you that can never end well.
What’s more, one must really consider whether or not they are effective. How often have you heard a sixteen year old say the following? “Gee, I’d like to smoke a cigarette but that commercial with the kid in the rat suit really hit home with me. I think I’ll stick to clean living from now on. Thanks Truth.com.”
Thanks indeed for telling Americans what we already know — smoking is bad. Despite all of the well-intentioned preaching and finger-pointing, TheTruth.com and its patronizing brethren are nothing more than an inane waste of resources, time, and an insult to the collective intelligence of society and the potential victims they purport to save.
You’ve just been infected with THE TRUTH.
34 Comments - add your own
jini — January 4, 2004 at 6:28 pm
Surely the money would be better spent helping people who would like to quit but can’t quit on their own. You would think that free patches/gum and mentoring them through the process would do more good now and in the long run.
Cory — January 14, 2004 at 6:57 pm
i could sit here and debate how your article was rediculously missinformed and never once addressed truth in anything less than bias, but youve wasted enough time already. however, i do urge you, and anyone who feels so compelled, to visit thetruth.com and learn for yourselves what truth is really about.
have a nice day
Matt Mayfield — March 1, 2004 at 11:25 am
Those ads just piss me off. I’ve actually started a new game in which I light up every single time I see one of those commercials. I can’t stand those snot-nosed punks. Besides, no one ever mentions that truth.com is also partially funded by the competitors of Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds… not the cigarette branches, but rather the grocery end of their products. Sounds rather suspiscious to me… what do I know anyway? I’m just a smoker. Oh, and THAT’s the TRUTH.
Victor — March 17, 2004 at 1:50 pm
I like Cory’s post. This article was obviously well informed and full of truth’s. The Truth.com however is just one propaganda machine. Sure it has about 3 different facts on it, but it also cuts these facts into smaller pieces and repeats them 8 to 10 times. The Truth.com website also straight out lies about second-hand smoke killing 50,000 people a year. Tobacco has brought in over 450 billion dollars in tax money and helped found the country. Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you. Manipulating figures and statistics isn’t going to help people stop smoking, it’s just going to prove how ignorant people really are. Anyways, I enjoyed the article greatly.
Dylan Boswell — April 8, 2004 at 5:29 am
e-mailed to Cory…
Thanks or your inane and ridiculous post in response to a fine article on AFF’s Brainwash website! It is really fascinating to see an anti-corporate government hypocrite flail away in poor grammar and bad spelling, but I was wondering if you have ever considered that your mission to deliver the “Truth” requires that the tobacco companies succeed? I mean, how are they ever going to pay for all of your clever ads if everyone quits smoking and they go out of business? And, just as an aside, why aren’t adults allowed to make and be responsible for their own decisions? I like to smoke cigars. If I get esophageal (can you even pronounce that) cancer, am I not even a wee-bit responsible, after all, it’s not like they said they had vitamin C in them or anything. If I am willing to exchange some health risks for the benefit I get from smoking them (and there IS indeed a benefit, let me tell you, a fine Dominican with a 9 year old Kentucky bourbon…nice!) should I not be entitled? Are kids to be taught that they are just victims of evil corporate profiteers (who only sell people what they WILLINGLY pay for), or can they make informed decisions for themselves once they are over 18. If they ever smoke a Camel or puff a Winston and find they enjoy it, they might be inclined to be suspicious of your information and wonder if it is really the “Truth” or just some government propaganda paid for by tobacco suit dollars. They might not even believe the hype form the upcoming fast-food lawsuit that is bound to make states flush with highway, er, agriculture, uh, I mean healthcare dollars. What happens to the thousands of honest and hard working Americans who now labor in North and South Carolina, Virginia and other states, in an industry with a centuries old tradition? Are they supposed to just pack up and go home? “Sorry, tobacco’s just not cool anymore”…What if some folks are willing to risk ill health to enjoy a good smoke? Who are you to tell them your “Truth” is better than theirs? No one holds a gun to their heads and says “Smoke!” But I’ll bet you would be glad to hold a gun to their heads and say “Don’t Smoke!” After all, that is what is implicit in all the restrictive laws you anti-smoking folks propose. Who is going to keep all us ignorant fools from hurting ourselves if you don’t send in the armed thugs (I mean Police Officers) to save us from ourselves? Well Cory, I feel compelled to go puff on a big fat Maduro while it is still legal. But, I’ll leave you with this thought…what if, no matter how loud you yelled or how many laws you got passed, some people just decided to smoke anyway? Could you handle the TRUTH?
perfusionista — August 20, 2004 at 1:51 am
Yeah! Go Matt, that’s what I say.
It’s about time we put it to all these whiners who complain about smoking. I myself work in healthcare, looking after people with heart disease. If these anti-smoking campaigners get their way it will completely destroy our business. Right now the treatment of smoking related diseases is a multi-million dollar business, supporting the careers of thousands of dedicated Americans. We mustn’t let these do-gooders destroy our chance to achieve the American Dream! In my own case, as a high school drop-out, how else would I be able to earn a six-figure salary? I have two young children that I need to raise and if these people have their way how will I be able to afford to send them to good colleges?
As I see it the only hope for my future, and the future of my children, is if we encourage more young people to smoke. That way I know I am assured of a continuing supply of patients and an assured income for the future.
Xenon Vega — August 31, 2004 at 12:18 pm
Actually, for those who enjoy the benifits of nicotine in stressful situations, The simple addition of 1 to 2 milligrams of nicotine sulphate to a one liter bottle of a beverage of your choice will give all the benifits of smoking two or three cigaretts without the harmful side effects of the smoke.
Susan R — January 28, 2006 at 4:25 am
I think we we need create a support network of family and friends to help them stop smoking.
Andrew Spark — February 17, 2006 at 11:15 pm
Smoker who give up the habit of smoking by their thirties avoid almost all the risk of smoking related disease like cancer, stroke and heart diseases.
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If they ever smoke a Camel or puff a Winston and find they enjoy it, they might be inclined to be suspicious of your information and wonder if it is really the “Truth” or just some government propaganda paid for by tobacco suit dollars.
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