The tobacco industry is still widely successful and that fact is unlikely to change without stronger anti-smoking campaigns and better public consciousness.
According to the American Lung Association, cigarette smoking has been on the decline for decades now. The days where smoking was allowed on buses, airplanes, and hospital waiting rooms is long gone, and the general public opinion is heavily skewed against smoking. On the whole, it would seem like people are ready to collectively quit cigarettes and take a step towards better health.
So, does this mean that the tobacco industry is doomed to fail?
Not at all. The tobacco industry is actually growing and earning more money than ever.
But how?
It’s simple – the people running the industry are simply sneaky businessmen who know exactly what they’re doing. They’re keeping the industry not only afloat, but thriving. Allow us to show you how.
Production is becoming more eco-friendly
No one can really argue that cigarettes are good for you – it’s a widely accepted truth that they are most decidedly not. This is why the smoking industry in general will always have a bad reputation of some sorts. While it’s become clear that a business can thrive despite bad reputation if they play their cards right, this doesn’t mean a bad reputation still isn’t a pain to deal with.
That’s why most tobacco companies are now introducing new, more sustainable ways of growing tobacco and making tobacco products. Similarly to most modern businesses, they are also shifting towards better labor practices. This is their attempt to boost themselves in the eyes of the public.
The industry is shifting towards healthier alternatives
Most people don’t exactly want to keep poisoning themselves every day. The reasons they keep coming back to cigarettes are numerous – they are too addicted to stop, smoking eases their anxiety, smoking makes them feel elegant or glamorous, smoking is a part of their style.
Since it’s impossible to simply tell people to stop smoking and expect them all to obey, a lot of new businesses have decided to give us a much less harmful version of a cigarette.
Enter, vaping.
Instead of smoking rolled up cigarettes that are filled with tobacco and a bunch of random chemical ingredients, people now have the option to vape nicotine, thus reducing the harmful effects. In fact, companies like Lets OZE make 100% tobacco free products and are dedicated to helping longterm smokers finally quit. You can find the best disposable vape pen for you because they offer a bunch of different flavors. If you struggle to quit smoking, this can be the step in the right direction for you.
Another nice thing about vaping is that it doesn’t stink up the whole room the way cigarettes do, and it’s less harmful for secondhand smokers as well. Nicotine is still not good for your health, but at least vaping can help you reduce its intake.
Cigarettes are moving away from developed countries
Not every country in the world has a strong anti-smoking lobby. Poor, underdeveloped countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe don’t face constant bombardment of anti-smoking ads, so it’s much easier to sell tobacco in these countries.
Big businesses are shifting their focus towards these markets in an attempt to find a new, viable customer base to exploit. While America and Britain are successfully pushing smoking out of their countries, tobacco companies are simply moving their business to the places that can’t resist the onslaught of pro-tobacco lobby.
Some companies do sneaky advertising
Everyone knows you can’t advertise cigarettes. You won’t see an ad on TV or in a magazine, and Google won’t suddenly suggest you should buy yourself a pack of Luckies.
While this is all well and good, there’s a way around it – certain tobacco companies have started using social media influencers to advertise their products. After all, no one can stop you from posting a picture of yourself enjoying a smoke with #partylife written in the description.
Because you see, while most platforms have banned advertising any kind of tobacco-related products, this rule isn’t enforced often enough, and companies can still make secret deals with certain influencers. The influencers just have to hide the fact that they’re advertising paid content, which does happen with some regularity.
People have started smoking more during lockdown
Stress and the ever-present, oppressive anxiety caused by a global pandemic have taken their toll. Both tobacco and alcohol sales have risen since the beginning of lockdown. This is a natural response – people are feeling the weight of this impossible situation and finding it hard to deal with the whole mess, so a lot of us have started overindulging in some pretty harmful practices.
The tobacco industry is thriving because of it, but this doesn’t mean you’re stuck with your bad habit until the whole thing has settled. If you need help quitting there are various resources you can check out. If you need more emotional support, consider contacting a psychotherapist (a lot of them now hold sessions over Zoom or Skype).
We’ve made leaps towards a cigarette-free world since we realized that smoking is harmful, but there’s still a long way to go. The tobacco industry is still widely successful and that fact is unlikely to change without stronger anti-smoking campaigns and better public consciousness.
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