As early as 1998, execs from one major tobacco company discussed "covertly" contacting graffiti artists to paint for them in key locations.
Source
"Salem: Recommendations to "Plus" New York Test." Truth Tobacco Industry Documents. 13 Aug. 1998. Report.
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/txs96i00/pdfRelated tags
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Problems with self-esteem. Has menial, boring job. Emotionally insecure. Passive-aggressive. Probably leads fairly dull existence. Grooming not a strong priority. Lacks inner resources. Group conformist. Non-thinking. Not into ideas. Insecure follower. These are all terms taken from Big Tobacco's files that have been used to describe different groups of potential customers for their deadly, addictive products.
Source:
Hunter, CS. "Marketing Research Report. Inner City Black Creative Exploratory." Truth Tobacco Industry Documents, 16 Jan. 1989. Marketing Document.
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1981: "Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer." Said a tobacco researcher whose company was definitely not targeting kids.
Source:
"PM USA Research Center - Young Smokers Prevalence, Trends, Implications and Related Demographic Trends." Truth Tobacco Industry Documents. 31 Mar. 1981. Report.
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A major tobacco company visited a Pride festival to hand out coupons for cigarettes priced at $1 per pack. That’s five cents a smoke.
Source:
"Newport's Pleasure Lounge Aims to Ignite Cigarette Sales." The Wall Street Journal; 13 Sept 2016.
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During Desert Storm, Big Tobacco sent Marlboro-branded merch to troops deployed in Saudi Arabia.
Source:
Smith, E. A., & Malone, R. E. (2009). Tobacco Promotion to Military Personnel: “The Plums Are Here to Be Plucked.” Military Medicine, 174(8), 797–806.
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The more 10-14 year olds in the U.S. see smoking in movies, the more likely they are to start smoking.
Source:
"Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General Executive Summary." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General. 2012.
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In 1989, one tobacco company's ideas for reaching minority customers included to "be seen as a friend," "build on black history," and "help them find jobs."
Source:
"Salem Black Initiative Program Brand Team Ideation Session." Truth Tobacco Industry Documents. 03 Aug. 1989. Report.
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Although African Americans usually smoke fewer cigarettes and start smoking cigarettes at an older age, they are more likely to die from smoking-related diseases than whites.
Source:
"African Americans and Tobacco Use." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 August 2016
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A 1989 document from Big Tobacco's files described young adult smokers in the military as: "less educated" with "poor academic performance" and "limited job prospects."
Source:
"Military Yas Initiative." Truth Tobacco Industry Documents. 1989. Report.
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As long ago as 1969, a tobacco company executive stated that they had "taken a great many steps to avoid advertising directed to young people." Yet 10 years later, they supplied their products to be featured in The Muppet Movie.
Source:
Legacy Tobacco Documents Library. American Tobacco Collection. July 22, 1969. Page: 82 of 197 in PDF.
Document Type: Congressional Testimony, Legal
Bates Number: 968062385/2581
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In the 90s, Big Tobacco sent free cigarettes to troops deployed overseas during Desert Storm.
Source:
Smith, E. A., & Malone, R. E. (2009). “Everywhere the Soldier Will Be”: Wartime Tobacco Promotion in the US Military. American Journal of Public Health, 99(9), 1595–1602. http://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2008.152983
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Tobacco companies have been targeting women with their advertising for the last 80 years.
Source:
"Women and Smoking: Report of the Surgeon General." CDC. Factors Influencing Tobacco Use Among Women, 2001. 44, 96. Report.
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African Americans are less likely to successfully quit smoking than white Americans.
Source:
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR): Quitting Smoking Among Adults --- United States, 2001--2010 ; Center for Disease Control and Prevention ; November 11, 2011
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Smoking = No Cat Videos?
We wish we were kidding you, but cigarettes harm cats. Test your knowledge.
