Store tobacco marketing becomes sadly laughable to the trained eye. Extremely effective, it’s a multi-purpose facade through which educated eyes can easily see. The growth portion of its aim is to tease, entice and invite youth experimentation.
The pacifying part is to provide justification to dependency-ignorant users as to why they’ve returned to purchase more. And then there are those seeking freedom. It not only proclaims why they shouldn’t, it all but wraps itself around them while trying to purchase fuel, food or medicine. Its aim is to penetrate, stir, inflame and contribute to relapse.
Flavor, pleasure, to be true, cool, our gateway to friendship, for adventure, rebellion or unbelievable prices, it shouts that we stand at that counter for every reason except the truth, which is because we must, because mounting nicotine depletion anxieties begin to hurt when we don’t. Think like a tobacco company. Look closely. What subliminal message does each ad or display attempt to pound into the subconscious mind? Where does the “responsible” nicotine merchant provide notice that this chemical may be more addictive and harder to beat than heroin or cocaine, or that it may only take smoking nicotine once or twice to hook us for life? Feel the industry’s economic muscle. It is not only flexed here but making significant campaign contributions inside our legislature.
Why would society and its laws allow the nicotine addiction industry to suggest all these reasons for using, yet not require equally prominent display of the truth? What tobacco company won the bidding war at this location? Look at row after row of the same packs or cartons. The winner’s products are usually the ones on top and most visible. Look closely. When are our conscious and subconscious minds first assaulted by use invitations? Are there roadside signs, signs on top of gas pumps, tied to lamp posts, window signs, exterior building wall signs, door signs, signs hanging above candy racks, signs surrounding us as we make our purchase, or on the door as we exit?