Eliminating tobacco advertising could save teens from an early death

Saturday, April 24, 2010
Online Letter to the Editor
Daily Gazette

There is nothing cool about lung cancer, or emphysema, or smokers’ cough. There is nothing sexy about bladder cancer, COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] or cardiac arrest. All of these diseases are potential outcomes from a lifetime of tobacco use.

So where did we get the idea that tobacco use is cool? The first thing that flashes through my mind is the Marlboro Man — it certainly impacted me when I started smoking. I was drawn to that rugged loner in front of the sunset. I resonated with him, and wanted to be him: strong, independent and indestructible. But the Marlboro Man is just a beautifully crafted fantasy. The tragic irony is that prolonged tobacco use can make you just the opposite — weak and fragile, if you survive.

When our kids are hanging out with their friends who smoke, we may worry that they are being badly influenced. But peer pressure is not swaying kids the most toward this deadly addiction. Cigarette advertising is.

Our youth face enough obstacles and tough decisions; do they need to be constantly bombarded with advertising that could potentially be life-threatening to them? Removing tobacco products from the view of our kids is an easy way to help save many youth from facing early death and disease from tobacco.

Rebecca Manwaring

Amsterdam