Remember how upset everyone got about Joe Camel because it appeared that the cigarette manufacturer was advertising to kids?
Yesterday, my son opened up his cigarettes and noticed two things.
The first was that the plastic thingey that you pull to open the pack now has a message printed on it. It says something about "light" not being more healthy, just having to do with the amount of flavor. I figured that might have been something they were forced to do under one of the settlements.
But then when my son opened the pack, this is what he found:
See what it said? More Puzzles, Riddles and Jokes for Folks. Folks? How about kids. What adult cares about puzzles and jokes in a cigarette pack?
It had a "fun fact". On average, a strawberry has 200 seeds in it. I can just see an adult working that into a conversation as he/she stands outside smoking with the other bad guys.
The joke was: What two things can you never eat for breakfast? Answer: Lunch and dinner. Does that sound like an adult joke to you? Or a kids' joke?
There was also a Sudoku puzzle on the paper. Now those might be something an adult would do. Still, puzzles and games in a cigarette pack? It's not a box of Cracker Jacks for pity's sake!!!
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Comments: 27
My son started smoking way to early himself and as a 25 year old, he was angry about this. He asked me to post this, and he plans on blogging about it himself. And probably writing the cigarette manufacturer.
Wow, that really does target a young audience. That's awful.
unless the kid opened the package, he really wouldnt see it. But a kid could see it in his parents pack.
that is horrible. i cant believe they would put that in there
Would kids actually start smoking because they want the jokes and riddles from the package? I hope our youth aren't THAT stupid but who knows. A friend and I tried smoking when I was around 13 because we thought we'd be "cool". I didn't even finish one pack and I knew I didn't like smoking. I grew up at a time where almost everyone smoked and my parents and grandparents smoked. I remember my grandfather letting me take puffs from his cig when I was very young.
Anyway, I have never smoked seriously. I always try not to do things I don't like unless I HAVE to. Unfortunately my son smokes. He's tried several times to quit but no luck so far. I just hate it and I make him smoke outside whenever he visits. Now he has a baby and the poor child comes to visit smelling like an ash tray!
Terrible. But not unexpected. Cigarette manufacturers are on the defensive, and they'll do just about anything to attract new addicts. You have to get 'em to start before you can hook 'em.
I hope the FDA can put a stop to this sort of stuff.
Wow what is things coming to now-a-days?
It does sound like they are targeting kids. I'm so lucky so far my daughter does not smoke and thinks it's gross. I hope my sons follow suit.
How sad.
That's terrible! We are non-smokers, so that would never make it inside my home, but it worries me to think that in another setting, my daughter might see this.
I think its terrible and shouldn't be on the packages. I'm a non-smoker like the last poster, so you wouldn't see it in my home. I do believe many of us were completely unaware.
i don't think it will be like that very long because i understand new stricter laws were passed last week and go into effect in the next months, can't come too soon
Sounds like they are targeting kids to me. That is terrible.
Why bother to pay the expense for printing those up to stick in packs? It doesn't really seem like most adults would care for those.
I seriously do not think kids are going to run out and buy a pack of Basics just for jokes...in fact, I work at a store and didn't ever hear of this..or my other co-workers. Out of curiousity I asked my son's friends (ranging from 16 to 25) none of them heard of this before and they all said they don't care about puzzles or jokes.
This isn't aimed to teens, but more for a promotional tool to have adults switch to Basics (I ended up asking the cig. people today at work), just like Marlboros does with the M. bucks, or Virginia Slims with the female catalogs for clothing...
I doubt anyone is going to switch for stupid jokes and riddles either. :)
I thinks it is geared to the yong able adults,,
The tobacco companies have to target children because if they don't get people to smoke before their mid 20's they are unlikely to get them at all. They are quite happy to have new smokers even though it is well known that smoking shortens one's life. All the talk about freedom of choice is just cover. There are choices we don't want our children to make and smoking is one of them.
Wow that is crazy!!!
That is just pathetic! Cigarette companies must be so desperate to get people to start smoking that they would do just about anything to make it more appealing or cool to start.
Ugh, that's just ridiculous!
Yeah that does not sound right. Ugh!
That's bizarre!
I have never see this. i wonder if ir is just the one brand ? or all of them ? Strange!!
oh my goodness
I've never thought that the "warnings" on cigarettes did much, and still don't. But, really, why put kids jokes in cigarettes.
"Kids"? Did someone say "Kids"? Well, I know this much... I can think of a million (OK, a thousand) things I would consider less abusive than threats of ever-lasting damnation if "kids" didn't follow my already, but 'revealed' and hateful isms.