Big Brother wants your smokes

E-cigarette company Juul to pay $40 million in North Carolina lawsuit settlement - CNN

San Francisco's Juul has been hit up for an easy $40,000,000 for being guilty of making a product that appealed to some young people in North Carolina. They did not violate any law or regulation but they were extorted anyway.

Trump-era attacks on tobacco, freedom and youth, including raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21 are just one of the many Trumpist policies embraced fully by the Biden administration. Many prominent companies in the tobacco industry are linked in some way to North Carolina. Phillip Morris, the country's largest cigarette company, is one example. Phillip Morris held 50.4% of the cigarette market in the first quarter of 2007. While Phillip Morris' headquarters is located in Virginia, they maintain a manufacturing facility in Cabarrus County. Other well-known companies are entirely based in North Carolina. Reynolds American Inc. is another tobacco giant that recently formed when R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. joined with the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. in 2004. R.J. Reynolds is the second-largest tobacco company in the country and is centered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. R.J. Reynolds produced nearly one out of every four cigarettes sold in the United States, and they own four of the nation's ten best-selling brands (Camel, Winston, Salem, Doral). Finally, the Lorillard Tobacco Co., the third largest U.S. tobacco firm, is centered in Greensboro, NC.

According to state attorney general Josh Stein, North Carolina youth do not use tobacco because North Carolina ranks first in the United States in the production of tobacco, with a 2006 annual farm income of $506.2 million. North Carolina youth do not find tobacco appealing because of every major institution in the state of North Carolina was built with tobacco profits. Instead, it's because Juul made fruity flavors and uses some kind of new-fangled "social media thingamajig" to appeal to people under the age of retirement.

Ok, Boomer.

 

Cello


Not sure what your argument is in the context of Libertarianism?

 

The government is behaving unjustly. It's become a boa constrictor slowly squeezing the freedom out of our society. As much as I dislike those fruity vapes, Juul did nothing wrong.

 

As much as I favor phasing out tobacco and nicotine stick use, I more respect the individual consenting adult's right to use these products. Raising the age of buying past the lowest age of adulthood does not sit well with me. That said I support keeping second hand smoke away from those who choose not to deal with it.
But I agree with the judgement against the makers of Juul. They did the same thing RJR did with Camels in the '90s. Anyone marketing that shit to kids deserves an express lane to hell.
However, that said, I don't see the point of eliminating flavored nicotine containing products. I don't want just to have a good conscience just because I appear to have done something for "the children."

 

I have not personally seen the Juul advertisements. Did you see them?

If you thought Joe Camel was marketing to kids, check this out:

 

Can you imagine the unnecessary pain and suffering that could have been avoided if government had reacted to the evidence available more than 50 years ago and done everything possible to eliminate smoking. Instead in the name of no regulation and “freedom” smoking is still widespread. I was with both of my parents at their last gasp from lung cancer….horrendous. I have had three quarters of a century of asthma caused directly by secondhand smoke….and not just from my parents.

 

To be fair I haven't seen any Juul advertisements or memes or whatever. But I don't find it difficult to believe there would be some kind of clever and covert attempt to get teens and younger to try. Perhaps I'd be convinced otherwise if I saw some of its advertising but I wouldn't bet on it.
And yes, I have seen the commercial with Fred and Barney. The Flintstones was an animated adult sitcom. But we know kids watched it. I remember watching it when I was five, though tobacco advertising on TV had long been prohibited by then.

 

I'm all for individual liberties. I would be against tobacco prohibition. But also I would be against making it so easy to obtain and use. Fortunately things have changed by now. Cigarettes cost much more and are more difficult to find. There are entire store chains that no longer sell them. And you're restricted where you can smoke. When I smoked years ago I had no problem with this. Fortunately I took the difficult but wise steps to drop that shit. I still dream I'm doing it, but it's been over a decade for me.
I'm so sorry about your parents' loss. It is an ugly way to die.
I've heard cordiceps (a kind of mushroom) is good especially for lung problems, but do your research before assuming anything someone on the Internet told you lol.

 

Thank you….and good for you on quitting. My addiction was alcohol and people I have known in sobriety have told me giving up tobacco was actually harder that quitting drinking.

 

I quit almost 15 years ago and I occasionally have dreams I'm smoking too. The ironic thing is that in my dreams I'm disappointed in myself for lighting up. When I wake up it's a mix of emotions - part of me is glad I didn't actually slip back into that habit I worked so hard to kick, and part of me wonders how long this is going to go on.

 

I personally found cocaine easier to kick than cigarettes. Crazy, huh? At least I have no desire for either one any more - at all.

 

Makes you wonder whats next?

 

Funny how addictions work in our heads. Drinking dreams seem to go with getting free of alcohol…I had so many at first and often with the knowledge that I was doing something I shouldn’t. One time I even had a compound drinking dream, dreaming I was having a drinking dream! When I got sober, I traded deck chairs on the Titanic, and had a brief foray into addictive gambling. Same deal, I had gambling dreams. We all need to give each other lots of support!

 

I still have weird dreams (the only kinds I have really lol) about smoking, but as time goes by the experience of smoking grows less desirable.

 

Good for all of us for quitting our addictions!

 

Tobacco firm Philip Morris calls for ban on cigarettes within decade

 

Big Brother would be free to have them, if only I'd have any to give. I've never smoked in my life.

 

former smoker , I HATE cigarettes , dont like being around them, but if you want to smoke 'em knock yourself out just keep 'em away from me

 

Map of State Cigarette Taxes & Price Per Pack

TAX revenue, cigarettes are not going away

 

How about making addiction treatment and victim compensation the first claim on all taxes on addictive items. That would stop rewarding governments from passive encouragement of things like alcohol, tobacco, and gambling because they are a revenue source. I lost both my parents to lung cancer from, surprise surprise, smoking. I still feel anger that while they were killing themselves by smoking, big tobacco and, yes government, were profiting from what would inevitably be a horrible death for them. I know from a personal acquaintance with alcoholism that all the addictions work the same in our heads. Support and treatment are really important.