What if…

…I owned a factory that made uniform shirts…work uniforms…school uniforms…

Unfortunately, due to a flaw in the material, the shirts spontaneously ignite into a ball of red-hot flames…

…because of this, about 5.4 million shirt wearers are burned to death each year. (About half of all shirt owners). In addition, about 600,000 bystanders are also killed from these flaming shirts each year…

What should happen?

How is this similar to tobacco? Remember, about 5.4 million people die each year from tobacco related causes and another 600,000 die from the effects of second hand smoke. About half of all tobacco users will eventually die from tobacco related causes. Sound familiar?

Why do you think tobacco companies are still in business?

Why are tobacco companies still in business? (1)They sell an addictive product…nicotine is a highly addictive drug that occurs naturally in the leaves of the tobacco plant. Some scientists believe it is one of the most addictive substances…while tobacco executives deny this…

Why are tobacco companies still in business? (2) They have a lot of money and they hire people, called lobbyists, who work with lawmakers to make sure their products can still be legally sold...

Why are tobacco companies still in business? (3) They redesign their products to deliver more nicotine more efficiently…thus “attracting and keeping” customers…

“While the report, out today, focuses on the medical effects of smoke on the body, it also sheds light on why cigarettes are so addictive: They are designed to deliver nicotine more quickly and more efficiently than cigarettes did decades ago.” From: “Just one cigarette can harm DNA, Surgeon General Says” By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY Updated 12/9/2010

Why are tobacco companies still in business? (4) They target teens….YOU!

“Delegates will also discuss new products such as vitamin-enriched and organic cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and how to use the internet to market brands to young smokers.” From: “Protesters vent anger at tobacco exposition” published in Bangkok Times on 12/11/2009

A new study out of Germany shows that tobacco marketing entices teens to smoke. Of the 2,102 public school students in Germany surveyed, 277 young people who had never smoked before took up the habit after viewing tobacco advertising. Those who saw the most ads were 46% more likely to try cigarettes than those who saw no tobacco ads, according to the research. From: “German Study: Tobacco Marketing Lures Teens” by Tanya Irwin, January 19, 2011Tanya Irwin Teens and Smoking Ads

Every year the tobacco industry spends literally, billions of dollars on promotion, sponsorship and advertising. Tobacco advertising increases tobacco consumption which in turn kills people. Teens are at especially high risk of starting to smoke product advertisements and viewing such ads alone is guaranteed to start more youths on this deadly habit. Authors of a new study published online this week in the Pediatrics journal state: "Our results support the notion of a content-related effect of cigarette advertisements and underlines the specificity of the relationship between tobacco marketing and teen smoking; exposure to cigarette advertisements, but not other advertisements, is associated with smoking initiation.” From: “Teens Highly Susceptible To Tobacco Promotion, Advertising” January 18,

Why are tobacco companies still in business? (5) Though limited in where/how they can advertise and forced to place warning labels on their products, they still effectively market their products…

Luckily, they can’t do this anymore… Click on the link or picture to go to the video clip

Or this… at sporting events

But they can do this… With a two pack purchase

And this… Making cigarettes look sexy

And this… Ads in magazines young people might read

To wrap up, Tobacco Companies are still in business because they… 1.sell an addictive product 2.have a lot of money 3.deliver nicotine efficiently 4.target teenagers…YOU 5.still effectively market their products On to the last slide->

So what else can be done? Write a few ideas