Blog#1 Cigarettes in Africa

              Due to little regulation and corruption by tobacco companies, smoking tobacco is still globally on the rise. In Africa for instance cigarettes are marketed by pretty ladies, film stars and sports figures. This is an attempt to make smoking seem cool in underdeveloped places throughout the world where there is still little regulation. Tobacco companies use the same tricks they once got away with in the United States but now it is in countries that have yet to modernized. These marketing strategies work especially on the young impoverished people throughout the world. Tobacco companies do not care about the health hazards associated with their products. They only care about the bottom line. They use the benefits of money to entice governments of these poor countries because tobacco creates jobs and a source of income that seems as important if not more important than a individuals health. The Glamorization of advertising and branding creates allure amongst poor Africans that too want a piece of the life that is shown to them through advertising.

              In the United States I think for the most part we all would agree that smoking at least is harmful to a person's health. Smoking tobacco is declining in America due in part to regulation on how it is marketed in our society. In many parts of the world there is little to no regulation on how smoking is advertised. If you are starving and for a few cents you can relieve stress, reduce your hunger, and also bond with the “hot chick” on the High Society brand of smokes, then that person is likely to at least try it. That is what Tobacco companies like Phillip Morris are banking on. They say they do not target kids, but they also said that about the hipster Camel brand of cigarettes back in the 70's and 80's here in the States. These companies have for years claimed they do not target kids but the study in this article says 68% of 6 year old's can identify at least one cigarette company logo. Tobacco companies know that if they can get people to try their products the consumer will likely become addicted to both the nicotine and the ritual of smoking. Many people simply claim that it relaxes them and thus they “need” to smoke. While the companies push to keep things unregulated some communities are fighting back. In South Africa the government has stepped in to ban advertising, free distribution and all forms of sponsorship.

            Stratification is also linked to tobacco use. Tobacco companies most effective advertising strategy is to make smoking cool and seem as though you too can live like the people you see in their advertisements. Young people looking to escape find it as a way to bond with each other and also think they are apart of a bigger collective of cool people that all do the same thing. Furthermore if you are poor and without work then suddenly a tobacco company comes to town and creates jobs for your community including yourself, then that person is likely to be grateful to the company and not want to see them leave. Being from the country I have seen many families make a living producing tobacco. What the poor soul's do not realize in these under-developed countries is the land now used for growing tobacco lowers the available land for food, and in essence widens the the gap between themselves and the capitalists that exploit them. These companies pay little for work and often take the profits made from these communities and do not invest it back for things they badly need like infrastructure. The people think they are getting a piece of the good life, but it is a costly piece that ensures the downfall of their community. Instead of a child going to school they many times head for the fields and factories that continue them in a lifestyle of farming over specialized training. While their country may benefit for the scraps these companies leave behind, it seems a heavy toll for their communities to endure.

http://thinkafricapress.com/health/big-tobacco-african-young-smokers