Teen Smoking Essay Research Paper Responsibility of — страница 2

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to 24 age group matures, they will account for a key share of the total cigarette volume for at least the next 25 years. Cigarette companies want to make their markets grow and expand with the new smokers, that even includes selling to youths to make their market successful. When the price of cigarettes went down 44%, junior high school students were smoking more than usual because the prices were not as high on cigarettes. The number of teens who smoke at least occasionally, jumped to 27.8% and in 1991, it dropped down to 22% because people started taking up smoking as a daily habit. Between 1979 and 1989, the number of teens from 15 to 19 years of age, had smoked at least occasionally, was cut in half to 23%. But 30% of the U.S. high school seniors, who smoked through the 1980

s, saw an amazing increase in their daily habits. The 16 to 25-year-old range are soon to be three times as important to tobacco companies as a prospect in any other broad age category. Teenagers like sweet products, so if the tobacco companies come up with a sweet product that a teenagers likes and enjoys, then they have just added another customer to their market. A memo that came out in 1973 talks about marketing KOOL menthol cigarettes to African Americans, noting that black smokers make up 30% of the market for the brand. KOOL showed little or no growth in the 26 plus age group. The growth was from the 16 to 25 age group. At this rate, a smoker in the 16 to 25 age groups will soon be 3 times as important to KOOL as a prospect in any other broad age category. Many bills and

lawsuits have been put against tobacco companies for marketing to minors. A tobacco bill that was put out a few years ago imposed financial penalties on cigarette companies that did not reduce their sales to youngsters by 30% over the next 5 years and 60% over the next decade. Cigarette companies did not like that at all. Here is what they did. Cigarette companies reluctantly agreed to pay the government up to 2 billion dollars in annual look-back penalties if youth smoking did not fall enough. The fees would have been paid by the industry as a whole; with out reference to which brands were popular with young people. The FDA wants to classify cigarettes as medical devices that can deliver nicotine to the human body. Its argument is voluminous evidence that the industry has long

been aware of nicotine s addictive properties, a charge the industry denies a lot. But the FDA has also assembled an alarming body of research about the growth of smoking among children and their vulnerability to cigarette advertising. One study said that more 6-year-olds could identify Joe Camel than Ronald McDonald. Fearing that the new rules on cigarettes that are being made all the time would put a ban on cigarettes, the FDA began negotiations with the White House on a legislative compromise. The White House, on the other hand, has a long way to go before it will be able to steer teens away from smoking. The FDA said that they would ban sales to teenagers under 18 and make retailers check for photo ID as a proof of age so that they know they are of age to buy cigarettes. This

plan would prohibit vending machine sales and bar outdoor advertising within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds. Smoking is a bad habit that people start when they are young. They think it is cool to smoke, and if they don t smoke, they can t be cool. Well the smarter people in the world don t smoke because they know what it can do to you. Smoking is a disgusting habit that is hard to break. People waste hundreds of dollars a day on cigarettes because they are addicted to them and they need them. If anybody is smart enough not to smoke, then they made a good choice in their lives. I think that a person that doesn t smoke made the smarter choice then the person who chose to smoke. 320