The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether or not cigarette advertisements should be banned. The paper will present both the pro and con points of view on the issue. It will then conclude by taking the position that advertising for cigarettes should indeed be prohibited.
At this point in time, cigarette manufacturers spend over two billion dollars per year on the advertisement of their products. Of that total, over six hundred million dollars goes to newspaper and magazine advertising; almost three million dollars goes to billboard advertising; almost one hundred fifty million dollars are spent on give-away promotions; and sixty million dollars are used for investment in public entertainment activities such as sports and cultural events ("Ban Cigarette Advertising?" 1987, p. 568). It is apparent from these figures that the tobacco industry considers advertising to be an important asset in their marketing campaign.
It has recently become an issue as to whether or not cigarette advertising as such should be banned. In fact, a bill has been brought forth for consideration in Congress, which could lead to a prohibition of advertising for tobacco products. On the one side of the debate are such organizations as the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society, both of which are in favor of banning the ads. On the other side are the Tobacco Institute, and various advertising agencies and newspaper representatives, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union, which considers such banning as a violation of the cigarette companies' First Amendment rights (Wulf, 1987, p. 75).
Those who are in favor of banning cigarette advertisements argue that, in view of the health hazards of smoking, such promotions are not in the best interests of society as a whole.
Additionally, they charge that cigarette advertising is often directed toward young people, who are thereby manipulated into assuming the bad habit at an ear...