One of the most significant generational divides is the differences in tobacco consumption. As attitudes around nicotine have evolved, separate age ranges have either embraced or spurned cigarettes and other delivery methods. Whether we all heed the Surgeon General’s warnings or not, it’s clear that each peer group has its hangups and choices.
While Big Tobacco finds new ways to market to fresh-faced consumers, an opposing force continues its attempt to educate and prevent over-use. For decades, television users have been subject to anti-tobacco advertising, just as they were once the targets of cigarette commercials. The Food & Drug Administration has carefully monitored where and how tobacco can be advertised, and a lot of that space is now filled by public service campaigns aimed at teaching younger people the ills of smoking. Whether those commercials are effective or not is up for debate. However, one can’t argue that they’ve been …