Tobacco

The law concerning tobacco control in Georgia adopted by Parliament on July 6, 2003 states that no person under the age of 18 may buy any type of tobacco products. This law mainly affects young adults, as it opens up a choice that must be made by the person, the choice of whether or not to smoke. I believe that this law was created to give adolescents enough time to develop their minds to be able to make choices on their own. By the age of 18, it is believed that a person has the right to make the choice of whether or not they want to smoke tobacco. This law does not affect me because I do not smoke, nor do I have any desire to smoke. It would affect someone who either does smoke or who wants to smoke who is not yet 18 years of age. For more information on the smoking age, http://www.youthrights.net/index.php?title=Georgia_Smoking_Age can be accessed.

This is an advertisement by the cigarette company Camel. It displays Joe Camel, Camel’s cartoon character, as suave and cool by having him stand next to a flashy red car while wearing sunglasses. The underlying message this ad is making is that if someone smokes Camel cigarettes, they will be cool and suave just like Joe the camel.

This graph shows that 35.7% of smokers come from the group of people between the ages of 18-20. This age group is one of the largest contributors to the smoking population.

These Truth videos are used to spread the word about tobacco and the affects it has on people. They are trying to reach people and inform them so they will make responsible choices and live healthy lifestyles.

This topic can directly connect to Henry Bracton’s On the Laws and Customs of England and the movie The Corporation viewed in class. Just as the law the laws relating to the dinking age and the driving age separate people into different categories, the law on purchasing tobacco separates society into groups of people who smoke and people who do not smoke. This law creates these groups further defining a modern definition of the person. Bracton wrote about division in society and people who made up these different groups. I believe The Corporation directly connects to this topic from the aspect of marketing. A large portion of the movie illustrated how companies market themselves in a way to a specific audience. Just how this film described, tobacco companies advertise themselves in specific ways as tactics to sell more of their products. For example, the tobacco company Camel advertises their cigarettes to a younger audience by using their cartoon Joe the camel. If they can convince young people that Joe is cool by smoking cigarettes then this will create potential customers for the company. Also, if they get people addicted to cigarettes early, then they will possibly have those customers for their entire lives. This is all a tactic to be successful in the business world and to sell a product whether or not it is good for the public or not.