Sharing the same pack
The assumed rivalry between vape and tobacco companies is actually a partnership
Jennifer DeSantis / Op-Ed Contributor / The USD Vista
Warnings about the dangers of smoking, vaping, and Juuling dominate the media, which they should — any of these activities are dangerous to one’s, and others’, health. However, we should not let the news reports about vaping-related illnesses distract us from the fact that special interest groups in Washington, D.C. that lobby on behalf of predaceous cigarette companies are taking advantage of addicted Americans. What is worse is that these lobbyists are not just working for traditional tobacco companies, but also for the electronic smoking industry, which benefits from the tobacco companies. If we want to end this health crisis, we have to understand the maneuvers of these companies and their lobbyists and confront the unfortunate truth that America’s capitalist market is working to undermine the nation’s health.
A brief, but necessary interlude: what is a lobbyist? A lobbyist is an essential part of our constitutional right “to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” A lobbyist is someone who can represent the voice of the people and bring their “grievances” to the government. Unfortunately, some lobbyists are not very interested in representing the people; rather, they are more interested in accepting what we will call “legal bribes” to push legislation and rules to favor their, let us say, “sugar daddies” — i.e. tobacco companies and the electronic smoking industry. Yes, traditional tobacco companies and the electronic smoking industry are best friends, even if the tobacco companies want to keep that a secret.
Consumers of vape products believe that buying e-cigarettes and Juuls are effective ways to wean off of cigarettes; they think that they are pulling away from the grips of giant cigarette corporations for a “healthier” option. This is not true. Cigarette companies have bought into the vape industry and actually own large percentages of the companies, so consumers are not escaping the holds of the tobacco industry at all. The assumed rivalry between electric and traditional tobacco products is a farce. Tobacco companies are investing in e-cigarettes to compensate for declining sales of traditional cigarettes. In an article from The American Prospect about tobacco and nicotine policies, writer David Dayen reveals that Altria — one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and associated products — bought a 35% stake in Juul for $12.8 billion. Philip Morris — another tobacco and cigarette manufacturing company — spent more than $6 billion on the Iqos e-cigarette. When you look beyond the fact that the Juul comes in “cool” flavors like watermelon and is the “safe” alternative to smoking, you will find the wicked truth: their advertisements are lies funded by the very companies that Americans are trying to escape and encouraged by political lobbying.
Major tobacco giants have specific lobbyists who use two typical strategies: they either persuade lawmakers to completely kill proposed bills that affect their benefactors, or they will convince lawmakers to weaken the language of a bill so that it opens more loopholes for their companies to manipulate. In the case of the Altria Group, both the tobacco company and Juul benefit from public lobbying in Washington. Bills that limit e-cigarette sales work to boost tobacco sales as people seek to satisfy their nicotine addictions through either method. Weakening any prohibition on vaping allows for better profits for the tobacco companies that hold high stakes in them.
Even if users of Juul and vape products are not inhaling the 7,000 chemicals found in cigarettes, they are giving their money to corporations that design and market cigarettes. Consumers are still providing the tobacco industry with sufficient funds to allow them to maintain functionality and privately invest in other nicotine products in case the cigarette industry falls victim to the newest vaping flavor. For example, Philip Morris International, the producer of the Iqos vape pen, has launched a series of commercials and ad campaigns that are not explicitly against traditional cigarettes, and therefore bring up the question, are e-cigarette and vape companies actually anti-tobacco? By analyzing the relationship between Altria and Juul, as well as the integration of Philip Morris into the vaping industry, it is obvious that these companies are working together to keep the American public addicted and buying.
It is clear — consumers are stuck in a pit of addiction: they need nicotine to satisfy their craving, yet many people nowadays want to stay away from highly dangerous cigarettes. Yet, as previously described, no matter what products they are buying, they are still spending money on items backed by these cigarette companies. Anti-smoking commercials warn consumers about the health risks of cigarette smoking, yet they do not warn about the stalking nature of the ever-lurking tobacco industry.
There is something malicious about these companies as they insert themselves sneakily into government and politics so that their monopolies on the health of America can reign supreme while thousands of teenagers across the country become addicted to nicotine every day.
The main issue here is two-fold. First, there is the moral implication of tobacco companies’ control over American consumers and how ruthlessly they aim to maintain their profits even when their trade seems to be dwindling by the years. They have rushed in to claim major stakeholder positions in Juuling and vaping because these are the latest trends in popular culture; they do not care if it is trending in the youth of America. Second, is the problem with lobbyists. Those with the most money have the largest voices and, in terms of the U.S. market, that would be the tobacco corporations who can line the pockets of lobbyists who are then willing to protect their murdering, uncaring backers.What unites these two elements is one thing: greed. But this is also where the American public can step in. If we can recognize the greed that infiltrates marketing and lawmaking, then we can push to get money out of politics. We have to start noticing what is going on behind the glossy ads and sensational news reports; we need to invest time into politics and understanding how to find representation for our voices. We need to pay attention – now.