Developing countries are usually vulnerable (易受伤的) to cigarette advertising. Until recently, some of them sold tobacco only through government monopolies, with little or no attempt at persuasion. And because most of these countries don’t have effective anti-smoking campaigns, many of their people are surprisingly innocent of the link between tobacco and diseases. In Manila, we even found cigarettes sold at a snack bar operated by the local Boy Scouts. Many governments, moreover, are reluctant to launch anti-smoking wars because they’re addicted to tobacco taxes. Argentina gets 22.5 percent of all its tax revenue from tobacco; Malawi, 16.7 percent. Into this climate of neglect, American tobacco companies have unleashed (释放) not only the marketing ways that most of us take for granted, but other strategies they wouldn’t dare use m America. Although their marketing budgets are secret, tobacco companies have supported their spending for International advertising, adding substantially to the $ 4 billion allocated yearly for the United States. "It’s crucial for them," says Richard Pollay. "Familiarity in advertising breeds trust.’ Tobacco spokesman insist that cigarette advertising draws only people who already smoke. But an ad executive, who worked until recently on the Philip Morris account, speaking on condition of anonymity(匿名), disagrees. "You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to figure out what’s going on. Just look at the ads. It’s ridiculous for them to deny that a cartoon character like Joe Camel isn’t attractive to kids." Dr. John L. Clowe, president of American Medical Association, says, "It is clear that advertising fosters tobacco use among children. And, despite tobacco-industry denials, ads like Joe Camel are especially appealing to adolescents, equating smoking with athleticism, even success. "Numerous independent studies support this view. Time and again they have shown that cigarette advertising creates an environment in which young people are more likely to smoke. That may explain why the U,S. Centers for Disease Control found that smokers between ages 12 and 19 prefer Marlboro, Newport and Camel three of the most advertised brands. |