[Politics] Leave Cigarette Advertising Alone!

Advertising groups are taking on Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy for his proposed bill to once again limit the nature of tobacco advertisements, and they do so rightfully. Advertising Age is reporting that several groups are tossing the "unconstitutional"moniker Kennedy's way as the Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is set to introduce a bill limiting tobacco print and outdoor ads to black-and-white text only and banning promotional giveaways such as hats and t-shirts, among other restrictions, in an another meaningless effort to curb youth smoking.

Simply because smoking is extremely unhealthy, it does not mean that our government should restrict the first amendment rights of tobacco compnies to advertise their completely legal product. The fact that we villainize the tobacco industry and its advertising and barely gasp at the fast food industry and its advertising is beyond me. Few of this country's problems can be linked to tobacco advertising, or smoking in general, and yet every year more and more tax dollars are wasted debating legislation on how to punish the tobacco industry and smokers.

I am not opposed to certain limitations on smoking, and even tobacco advertising, but it seems that we are constantly looking for new political paths to curb their business simply because some teenagers still smoke. It is also apparent that of the loads of unhealthy products on the market, many of which are unhealthy for teens and adults, only tobacco receives national attention and legislation to restrict it. Let me make something absolutely clear: as long as cigarettes are illegal, there will always be teenage smokers, and that is not the fault of tobacco advertisements. At some point, we need to stop blaming the industry that is selling a legal product and start remedying the problem by directly engaging those in danger. Ultimately, that is where our responsibility lies, and still no further really than what is ultimate somone else's choice.

The fact of the matter is, this is a free-market democracy. Corporations are entitled to free speech just like individuals, and perhaps more importantly, there is still a free-market that can choose what is and is not acceptable. If the people are truly outraged by tobacco advertisements, they can boycott the media companies that place those ads; and if the media companies want to preserve a certain reputation, they can stop running tobacco ads their audience does not want. But people aren't complaining, at least not a significant enough portion to merit a true response from the industry. So why are our legislators still so obsessed with fighting big tobacco? Is it because they failed to do anything about it until 20 years ago? Or is it to make up for their lack of concern about marketing practices in numerous other industries?