Blowing smoke

Hamilton, K. (1997, July). "Blowing smoke." Newsweek, 130 (3), pp. 54-60.

OVERVIEW

The Center for Youth Studies is pleased to have the following article review offered by a high school student. We believe that insight from young people themselves is important for today’s youth workers.

From what you see on magazines to what you admire on television and movies, you might think that every cool person in the world has smoked a cigar.

Sales of premium cigars have more than doubled over the past four years. Pin-striped fat cats, Wall Street wanna-bes, irony-drenched Generation Xers, and just plain folks crowd the leather chaired cigar bars.

Perhaps the ultimate testimonial to cigar smoking’s cultural penetration is a recent study finding that teenagers are taking up the habit.

There is well-orchestrated marketing behind the cigar boom, but the industry’s total ad budget is a paltry $4 million dollars a year, compared with the $5 billion or so pushing cigarettes.

Cigars are by now almost universally perceived by those who smoke them as a status symbol.

When you look at the trend, sociological and psychological factors emerge. Watts Wacker, a resident futurist at the Stanford Research Institute notes: " ‘Cigars are a wonderfully placed symbol in an age driven by icons. It hits so many primal buttons.’ "

Although the American Cancer Society recently released a public service ad suggesting that cigar cutters could also come in handy for excising lip tumors, demand for cigars is still great; thus, prices continue to increase.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Does advertising play a big role in the success of cigars, or is it merely a result of the images portrayed on television?
2. Do you think cigars are an issue the government should address?
3. Why do teenagers smoke cigars? Do they do it to be cool, to rebel, or simply for enjoyment?

IMPLICATIONS

1. Cigars are indeed a trend in this country. There are dangers with cigar use. People of all ages and walks of life—including teenagers—smoke them. All people need to be fully informed on how cigars affects their body. At that point, potential users can wisely determine if the pleasure of smoking cigars is worth the risks.
2. Until the aura of coolness surrounding cigars fades, they will remain popular. As long as beautiful women and movie stars are lighting up, so will impressionable teenagers and status conscious people around the country.

Joseph Scanga cCYS