How are tobacco companies still in business? - General

I've been wondering, with all the anti-smoking campaigns and education and rules, I'm doubting tobacco companies are getting many new customers; with smokers dying off/kicking the habit, they should be losing some old customers. I know they probably sell internationally but within the US or even the whole western market, how are they still big, especially with cigarettes getting more and more expensive?

Money. Mass addiction. Also look at prohibition of the 30's.

They simply don't lose new customers, smoking yet being so bashed it's still very common and in the end mostly attractive. And the price rise doesn't really help on quitting the habit, or addiction, they(I)'ll still get over losing a bit more money because they(I) want to smoke

Government tax revenue. The taxes on cigs are higher than I have ever seen on a product. The govt won't let the companies die. Only reason the warnings and surgeons warning is on there is because of past lawsuits that could hurt the industry immensly. A lot of younger people (including me) knows what harm cigs can bring you and chose not to pick it up. But because of the addicting qualities of nicotine, once you pick it up you are going to be a repeat customer. There will always be cigs as long as taxes are still relevent. Without it our economy and federal budget will be in the shitter.

people don't typically stop smoking

The US was founded on the stuff. They might not be able to market it anymore but the damage is done. Enough people are addicted to keep the industry going.

[QUOTE=Jack Dynamite;42003790]with smokers dying off/kicking the habit[/QUOTE] i hate to break it to everyone but the negative effects of smoking are greatly exaggerated you aren't going to get lung cancer unless you smoke packs a day, for [I]years straight[/I] most people will cut down, take breaks, or actually quit. also you cant stop addiction

[QUOTE=butre;42003953]people don't typically stop smoking[/QUOTE] until they either die or truly 100% want to quit. It took my mother years to fully quit. But now she hasn't had a smoke in around...4 or 5 years.

[QUOTE=Dukov Traboski;42004047] It took my mother years to fully quit. But now she hasn't had a smoke in around...4 or 5 years.[/QUOTE] 1 cigarette and they're back to 4 packs a day.

Because Humans are retarded and will do self destructive things

[QUOTE=Dukov Traboski;42004047]until they either die or truly 100% want to quit. It took my mother years to fully quit. But now she hasn't had a smoke in around...4 or 5 years.[/QUOTE] my mom keeps going off of it for about 5 years at a time before she picks it back up again. there really aren't a lot of people who quit and stay quit

Smoking companies can still advertise, they just can't advertise via mass media and there is limitations on how they can advertise. Also, smoking largely appeals to the working class, especially if you have shitty job.

[QUOTE=butre;42004101]my mom keeps going off of it for about 5 years at a time before she picks it back up again. there really aren't a lot of people who quit and stay quit[/QUOTE] I've been worried about that too especially since everyone around her still smokes, but she says even the smell of them is completely repulsive to her now so it seems like she might be off for good. I hope.

One of the big things is other countries as well, Marlboro owns brands in a ton of developing countries whose people have no knowledge of the harmful effects, and therefore start smoking as early as elementary school.

For me it was that I just don't care. I'm fully aware and willing to be responsible for my actions. I enjoy the buzz I get from a cigarette, so I smoke 'em.

they are in business because people are still handing them money

[QUOTE=LunaBadger;42004187]For me it was that I just don't care. I'm fully aware and willing to be responsible for my actions. I enjoy the buzz I get from a cigarette, so I smoke 'em.[/QUOTE] This, right here.

imagine being a cigarette

Because smoking helps me not punch people in the face.

A lot of stuff is dangerous, but people still do it. Probably because tobacco companies fund and have some say in anti tobacco ads we get these dumb anti smoking commercials that from what I've seen cause people to smoke MORE to spite them. And the companies apparently are aware of this effect. Mind you I don't smoke, but pretty much everyone else in my family does.

I think smoking is a little taboo so when someone picks up the habit they probably get a right kick out of doing what no one else will however it's usually too late after the first couple cigarettes. Might also depend on how responsible you are at using cigarettes however they are so addictive it's nearly a miracle to break the addiction. Attempted to smoke cigarettes to take advantage of the smoke break at work but after running out it was really difficult to resist the urge not to buy another pack or beg someone.

Because people start relying on cigarettes for comfort. It's hard but i'm 3 weeks strong after two years of a pack a day!

I don't know about where others might be from, but pretty much everyone here smokes. My mother is trying to quit, my father is on them, I'm on them... My 2 folks in the next house smoke. My grandmother used to smoke 3 packs a day at one time. Almost everyone I've worked with smoked, My grandmother on my other side smokes, my dad's siblings mostly smoke, just I'm surrounded with it. When you're surrounded with smokers, it's very hard to even think about quitting. However, I go to the store and buy tobacco by the pound and tubes and roll my shit. Works out to maybe 15 bucks a carton (200 cigarettes.) It's too cheap to not do.

The amount of smokers is in steady decline though. Thankfully people are informed about the danger and don't pick it up. But usually I think most people started because of self-destructive behavior or maybe just "peer pressure" Public Health campaigns are doing good things to help steer the country away from cigs. But they will probably stay around as long as people continue to look for self-destructive methods to help cope with whatever they're dealing with.

One word: lobbyists.

A lot of people smoke,New people smoke everyday. Its nothing we can do about it. People will smoke no matter what. Because they see the people doing it. The kids in high school think its "cool" so they start smoking. Once you start smoking,Its hard to stop. They're working hard to try and stop it and I respect that,But It is hard to stop.

[QUOTE=Alec W;42005330]Because people start relying on cigarettes for comfort. It's hard but i'm 3 weeks strong after two years of a pack a day![/QUOTE] Good luck man, I recently tried to quit (for a second time) after smoking a pack a day for about a year and a half. First time I quit I lasted a year, this time I lasted a month :( [editline]29th August 2013[/editline] Smoking will never completely stop, new people are starting all the time for various reasons, not just because they think it's "cool", I don't actually know anyone who started because they thought it was cool or purely because of peer-pressure, and most of the time the people who were pressured into it didn't form a total addiction to it.

I started off smoking because it was cool. Although I still smoke I came down from around a pack a day (varied hard) to a good pack a week. I'll quit it whole eventually but it takes some time to get off it. On another note I don't see tobacco companies vanish any time soon. And I'm unsure whetever I'd like to see that happen or not since it's still a branch providing a lot of money for many people. Also bare in mind tobacco is not just cigs but also other stuff (snus, snuff, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, cigars, and all the other subcategorizes for inhaling stuff).

They are still in business because I, like many others, like smoking. I can go weeks without with ease but I just like smoking.

[QUOTE=SwizzChees;42005713]I started off smoking because it was cool. Although I still smoke I came down from around a pack a day (varied hard) to a good pack a week. I'll quit it whole eventually but it takes some time to get off it. On another note I don't see tobacco companies vanish any time soon. And I'm unsure whetever I'd like to see that happen or not since it's still a branch providing a lot of money for many people. Also bare in mind tobacco is not just cigs but also other stuff (snus, snuff, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, cigars, and all the other subcategorizes for inhaling stuff).[/QUOTE] Smoke E-cigs dude, all the glorious (And harmless!) nicotine you can want, and none of the side effects of inhaling burning smoke. Fun fact, it's the smoke and like, 30 carcinogenic chemicals produced during the burning that get you, not the nicotine.