Does society think it’s reasonable to profit from someone else’s loss? It certainly seems that way if we look at the tobacco industry. Revenue for U.S. tobacco companies increased 50% from $78 billion in 2001 to $117 billion in 2016. At the same time, the World Health Organization reports that tobacco use is responsible for the death of over seven million people per year.

Horrifying death toll aside, it’s obvious that cigarette smoking causes a wide range of painful and debilitating diseases, so why do people still smoke? The powerful force of influence has a lot to do with how people start smoking, and addiction (which is technically a brain disorder) is the reason people can’t shake the habit. The more we see any product used, the more likely we are to ask, “should I be using this product?” So every new smoker results in more cigarettes being sold to a larger number of people. This network effect is critical to mass adoption of any product, but cigarettes have an edge on other products in that they are extremely addictive.

Normalization, manipulative marketing in its finest form

The fundamental objectives of marketing campaigns in the tobacco industry are to a) influence non-smokers to buy their first pack of cigarettes; or, b) convince current smokers they should continue the habit. One of the key ploys involves the exploitation of a concept from sociology called “normalization.” When a particular behavior or idea becomes accepted by society as something that is normal and common in everyday life, people drop their guard and reduce scrutiny of that particular behavior or idea. The tobacco industry has historically teamed up with the world’s most effective advertising firms to develop marketing campaigns that make cigarette smoking seem normal. From the Lucky Strike ad proclaiming that “everybody’s doing it,” to the Camel ads that featured medical doctors insisting that, in a 30-day study of Camel smokers, “not one single case of throat irritation” was identified. These advertising campaigns not only made it seem like cigarette smoking was normal, but they also exploited the inherent trust we have in the institutions of government regulation, medicine, and media.

Consumers know smoking is bad, but tobacco execs know the field and they have a backup plan, e-cigarettes.

Today, tobacco companies face the biggest threat to their business in a consumer base with access to a near endless supply of digital information. But tobacco companies have adapted their tactics to the digital age, and they’re once again poised to hit record numbers by selling products that are harmful to their consumers through investments in electronic cigarette products and the newly-legalized Canadian cannabis industry. There are only two companies that sell cigarettes in the United States, Altria and Reynolds American, Inc. In December 2018, Altria purchased a 45% share in Cronos Group, an early leader in the newly-legalized cannabis industry. At the same time, Altria is awaiting approval from the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell its own electronic cigarette product, and it currently holds a 35% stake in the nation’s most successful e-cigarette company, Juul. Altria is a company that has managed record-breaking profits in the most regulated consumer markets, so the highly-regulated cannabis and e-cigarette markets are relatively comfortable investments where the story of normalization is once again entering the frame.

But vaping is good? Sure, because it’s heated and not burned…it’s natural.

A quick review of e-cigarette websites shows us how they use clever messaging to convince consumers that vaporized tobacco is a pleasing alternative to cigarettes, misdirecting attention to the “heated” nature of the new product as opposed to the “burned” nature of traditional cigarettes, and highlighting that nicotine addiction is common by pointing out that there are one billion smokers in the world. These are deceptive marketing practices that advertising industry veteran, Alex Bogusky, tackled in a video breakdown of a Juul ad. When Juul says that there are one billion smokers in the world, they’re sending us a signal that nicotine addiction is normal, 13% of the world is addicted. The minimal, pocket-sized products are a discreet and potentially less harmful alternative for the world’s population of smokers. But at the same time, nicotine is addictive, and that’s the entire reason anyone would invest in an e-cigarette company…the customers keep coming back for more even though it’s not in their best interest, like any other drug addiction, or 10 seasons of Friends. And if you can make nicotine consumption more delightful, with a novel high-tech delivery device and a range of delicious flavors, even more newcomers will join the addicted masses.

And this is where deja vu sets in, didn’t we already ban flavored cigarettes? Several countries already have existing regulation in place that bans the sale of flavored cigarettes, the United States passed this law in 2009, Brazil in 2012, and the European Union passed a law that will take effect in 2020. Presumably, the primary reason we banned flavored cigarettes is because flavors like bubblegum and strawberry make things more appealing to children. Yet, e-cigarette companies have grown their businesses significantly because of the fact that their products come in such tempting flavors. Today, the FDA is purportedly moving to ban e-cigarettes that are flavored with anything other than a standard tobacco flavor. New York City already banned flavored e-cigarettes, India banned the sale and use of e-cigarettes altogether, and many other government bodies are working to take similar action. It’s somewhat relieving to know that societies around the world are taking fast action to regulate e-cigarettes because of the product’s potential harm to children, but consumers and regulators need to stay alert, because there’s another case of normalization around the corner and it won’t be obvious until it’s too late.