I hadn’t realized how jarring it is to see people smoking indoors until I watched two DVDs this month. Barbra Streisand, as Katy in 1973’s “The Way We Were” smoked throughout the movie, including during her pregnancy. And from the land of television, Tim Robbins did a small turn as a smoking patient (yes, smoking in his hospital bed) in 1982’s hospital drama “St. Elsewhere.”
That these two pop culture examples are such a shocking contrast to today’s reality where you can hardly smoke in any public places (much less in a hospital), seems to be a testament to how far we have come in our efforts to stamp out smoking and tobacco use.
We might actually think the battle for our hearts and lungs is over and we have triumphed over tobacco. A piece of legislation going into effect this week called the Tobacco Modernization and Compliance Act of 2010 keeps Minnesota kids from easily accessing new smokeless tobacco items targeted directly at them.
The law puts items called “strips, orbs and sticks” behind the counter, categorizes them as cigarettes (based on content) and thus places greater distance between them and our kids. If you have no idea what I am referring to, consider paying for your gas next time inside the station. Take a look around at the colorful packaging and new array of products that seek to build a whole new consumer base.
Their purchase, display and marketing thus far have not been subject to many of the regulations specifically aimed at traditional cigarettes. Big Tobacco saw an opening in the market and attempted to ride below regulatory radar, as these products contain high levels of nicotine, are addictive and can be consumed with little social stigma. ClearWay Minnesota recently issued Unfiltered, a report that depicts the deliberate attempts by Big Tobacco to addict a new generation to nicotine and tobacco products
With this bill, we have managed to barely keep our basic safety regulations ahead of the tobacco industry innovations. That should provide us with little comfort. Today’s industry is not the same as it was in ’73 or ‘82. It goes well beyond Marlboro and Kools to encompass candy-flavored cigars, dissolvable tobacco mints and e-cigarettes.
You may never know your teen or college student has started this habit, because the names and packaging look so… harmless. Visit a convenience store and look around at all of the ads and products. What you find just might shock you – peach-flavored little cigar anyone?
With the Tobacco Modernization Act, lawmakers from both parties understand the need to ensure minimum protections for kids. However, the larger lesson is that the tobacco industry keeps reinventing itself to stay relevant and successful.
