Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
>> The world is seeing an unparalleled rise in marketing
and distribution of smokeless tobacco products.
This is how it began.
At the turn of the century, fledgling tobacco companies used
the beginnings of advertising to sell a product --
smokeless tobacco, otherwise known as "snuff" or "chew."
Swept from the floors of cigarette factories, this
looseleaf tobacco made its way into the hands of Americans.
With names like Little Katie, Climax,
and Carolina Belle, women were often depicted in ads,
carrying home pails of snuff.
They used a feminine touch to sell a product.
As its popularity grew, so did its packaging.
Placing it in containers such as lunch boxes, tin cans, and tubes
made it more alluring to the public.
They even went so far as showing children enjoying a chew.
With key phrases like "sun cured," it didn't take long
for the idea of smokeless tobacco to stick as a
reward for a hard day's work.
They even used the Sultan of Swat, Babe Ruth
himself, to pinch hit for their product.
With the allure of freedom, ruggedness, and the great
outdoors, many brands used the backdrop of Western ideology
to increase sales
among potential consumers.
It worked.
By showing people hunting, fishing, and playing sports, the
deceptive practitioners of the marketing machine learned how to
reach people of every nationality and gender.
They no longer relied on the addictive nature of tobacco to
sell products, but instead struck at the basic fiber of
human nature -- the ego.
With terms such as "bolder," "stronger," and "tougher,"
the industry uses psychology to combat scientific truth about
smokeless tobacco.
From Venezuela to India, Sweden, and beyond, the far-reaching arm
of global marketing has transcended any possible level
of constraint, and shows no signs of slowing down.
With images of couples enjoying snuff, and individuals enticing
unsuspecting consumers to fit in,
these advertisements use their appealing subliminal images
to encourage people into trying this harmful product.
Using repeated words like "Super Amari" and
"excellent snuff," worldwide consumers become trapped in the
glamorous quality of this deadly product.
Now, the tobacco industry is using a double-edged sword
in marketing.
Smokeless tobacco is being portrayed as an alternative to
cigarette smoking.
They entice to to have a pinch when you can't smoke.
Advertisements, like this one from India, say,
"When you can't light up, go for the snuff."
Frequently, ads are becoming more and more conducive to this
type of marketing.
These concepts are relatively new, but by adding the phrases
"When you can't smoke" serves two purposes --
now, they can mention their smokeless tobacco and their
cigarettes in the same breath.
This type of advertising is more deadly than the original.
There's an all-out advertising blitz, placing their products on
race cars, lawn chairs, baseball caps, T-shirts,
keychains, coins, and numerous other products.
But the real truth behind smokeless tobacco is hidden.
From the first warning signs of cancer to the devastating health
effects it causes, those individuals whose lives have
been touched by smokeless tobacco will never be the same.
Some of them have paid the ultimate price --
their own lives.
These images show the real truth behind smokeless tobacco.
The devastation this product causes has brought the world
to a boiling point.
No longer can we sit back and watch life after life be ruined.
It leaves a trail of cancer and sickness wherever it goes.
But the positive messages are beginning to weave their way
into our lives.
Where, once, professional athletes were used to sell this
deadly product, they are now turning a new leaf by dedicating
themselves to being positive role models.
Let's work together to send a message that today's youth are
no longer going to be targets of the marketing machine.
Remember that "smokeless" does not mean harmless.