I remember that when I quit smoking it was helpful for me to have some “knowledge” of just how manipulative the tobacco industry is. The industry manipulated me into thinking that smoking was the cool thing to do at age 15, and looking back; smoking prevented me from getting on the high school basketball team. The industry kept me hooked on smoking making me believe that smoking was the key to being slender, but being slender did not help any with my sports performance because I was short of breath. The industry kept me addicted for 20 years on and off and I think that “knowledge” was one of the things that helped me to ultimately quit for good.
The industry is still very strong and tries to distort and manipulate in various ways - here is just one example:
The Tobacco industry wants you and the people around the world to believe that they want to put an end to smoking. Have you heard about the “Foundation for a smoke-free world? “ This foundation is funded by the world’s largest cigarette maker – Philip Morris International. The company plans to contribute over $80 million annually over the next 12 years to the foundation, claiming that these funds will be dedicated to accelerating global efforts to reduce deaths and harm from smoking- with the ultimate goal of “eliminating smoking worldwide”
Sounds great, right?? Keep reading….
History has proven over and over again that the tobacco industry only looks out for its own interests - and that they are ultimately trying to protect itself from litigation threats and government regulation and to distract from the irrefutable evidence of the death and disease caused by tobacco use.
If the Industry wanted to eliminate smoking worldwide, they would just stop selling cigarettes and stop promoting their alternative products.
What are your thought about this? Do you have other examples on how knowledge has helped you in other areas of your life?
For more information on the industry and tactics used Truth Initiative does a great job at highlighting specific marketing ploys.
Therese Shumaker, MA
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