I love having friends who study abroad. Actually, that isn't true; I'd rather that they stay here so we could hang out and have fun. But as long as they have to go abroad, I love the fact that I can visit them.
Over fall break, I went to London for four days to see some of these beloved expats. It was a magical trip full of sightseeing, drinking too much, taking jet lag-induced naps and eating Indian food. As I look back on the whirlwind weekend, it's a wonder I can remember anything specific at all. Yet one of the things that sticks out in my mind is that "Smoking Kills." I remember that "Smoking Kills" because that was the warning emblazoned in large block letters on the cigarette package my friend had.
We were sitting in a pub one night, and she whipped out her little pouch of rolling papers and tobacco. Pre-manufactured cigarettes are expensive in London, so most students buy pouches and make their own. Kind of like a fatal EZ-Bake Oven for nicotine. On the front of the pouch was this message: "SMOKING KILLS." That's it. No equivocation, no beating around the bush. The British warning got straight to the point, and slapped it right on the front of the pouch, so you literally could not roll a cigarette without being confronted with your own impending doom.
This struck me because it was so different from the warning on many packs of American cigarettes. The American warning changes all the time, and varies from company to company, but right now a pack of Marlboro Lights reads, "Surgeon General's Warning: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide." What the hell is that? It is not helpful in any way. Given how dangerous cigarettes actually are to your health, this pathetic warning is a near-criminal cop out.
Let's break it down piece by piece. First, the font is small, and the warning is easy to miss. The brand name "Marlboro" is written in 14 millimeter high bold font. The warning is in miniscule four millimeter high normal font. Plus, the warning is on the side of the pack, and smokers are never forced to read it as they reach for another one. But that's not all. The icing on the cake is the white-and-gold checkered pattern placed strategically on the package behind the warning, making it very difficult to read. Do you think there is any crazy pattern obscuring the brand name? Don't be na‹ve.
Second is the message itself. In England, the warning is fact: Smoking kills. Period. The U.S. message is presented as one person's opinion. Granted, it is a prominent opinion, but the subconscious message it sends is, "Some people think this is true, but it might not be." And while the U.S. message says that cigarettes contain carbon monoxide, it fails to mention at all that this might constitute a health hazard.
The gross disparity between the British and American warnings is indicative of the differences in their cultures. The fact is that American capitalism is motivated almost purely by profit, and most companies don't care about the health of their customers. England is more concerned about individual welfare, and business takes a backseat in a more moral economy.
Some American companies have taken steps to preserve public health. Even Philip Morris, which manufactures Marlboros and the ridiculous warning, ran TV ads a few months ago urging people to be well-informed of the risks presented by cigarette smoke. But these efforts are few and far between, overshadowed by their attempts to jump through legal loopholes and continue to poison the public. Big companies that face constant pressure to make money simply can't be trusted to police themselves.
To make matters worse, our government can't be trusted to police them either. British law requires that the warning cover at least 30 percent of the front and 40 percent of the back of tobacco pouches. A new law in Canada mandates graphic images of a cancerous tongue. The American mandate? Nothing. Just a warning from a government doctor.
The U.S. government can't take a hard line with Big Tobacco because it still contributes a huge amount to political campaigns. Some in the House and Senate literally owe their seats to the tobacco industry. In American politics, money equals power, and any who oppose Big Tobacco will surely find themselves challenged by a well-funded candidate in the next election.
The only way around this sad fact is a huge shift in how Americans do politics. Without the big donations, we wouldn't have big shills in office who refuse to stand up for the people. Everyone knows that the Marlboro warning is a joke. That the government won't take a page from our friends to the north and east and do something about it just hurts their credibility. We live in a world where ordinary people don't trust the government. If that is to ever change, they need to face the music, and finally admit that "Smoking Kills."
