Tobacco: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Summary

This satirical video script critiques the tobacco industry's historical marketing strategies and global influence, highlighting its role in shaping American culture through figures like the Marlboro Man and Joe Camel. Despite regulations in the U.S., tobacco companies continue to thrive internationally, especially in countries with fewer restrictions. The script humorously details the industry's legal battles against public health measures in nations like Australia, Uruguay, and Togo. The narrator proposes a comedic solution in the form of 'Jeff the Diseased Lung in a Cowboy Hat,' a new character to replace tobacco ads, emphasizing the deadly consequences of smoking while mocking the industry's practices.

Takeaways

• 😀 Tobacco used to be a central part of American life, deeply embedded in media, advertisements, and culture.
• 🚬 The Marlboro Man, despite promoting ruggedness and freedom, ultimately symbolizes the dangers of smoking, with several actors who portrayed him dying from smoking-related diseases.
• 🌍 Smoking rates in the U.S. have drastically dropped from 43% in 1965 to 18% today, but tobacco companies continue to thrive globally.
• 👶 Tobacco companies, such as Philip Morris, have expanded into countries like Indonesia where smoking is prevalent, with few regulations or restrictions.
• 🚸 A viral video showed a 2-year-old smoking in Indonesia, highlighting the extent of tobacco's reach, even targeting children.
• 💼 Philip Morris owns seven of the world’s top 15 international cigarette brands, with Marlboro gaining market share globally.
• ⚖️ Tobacco companies use aggressive marketing campaigns, such as Marlboro's 'Don't Be a Maybe' campaign, which attempts to inspire smokers to embrace the brand's values of freedom and destiny.
• 🌏 Countries have enacted laws to curb tobacco consumption, such as Australia’s plain packaging law, which has led to a reduction in smoking rates, despite legal challenges from tobacco companies.
• 📜 Philip Morris has launched multiple legal challenges against countries like Australia and Uruguay over tobacco laws, even threatening smaller countries like Togo with international legal actions.
• ⚖️ The legal strategies employed by tobacco companies include using international trade agreements to undermine public health measures, as seen with Australia’s plain packaging laws and Philip Morris Asia’s lawsuit.
• 💰 Tobacco companies pressure governments with legal and financial threats, often succeeding in weakening or overturning health regulations in smaller or less wealthy countries.

Q & A

How did tobacco become a central part of American culture?

Tobacco became a cornerstone of American life through extensive advertising, with cigarette brands like Marlboro associating smoking with masculinity, ruggedness, and freedom. Smokers were prominently featured in advertisements, from newsmen to cartoon characters and cowboys, reinforcing the widespread use of cigarettes.

What led to the decline in cigarette smoking in the U.S. over the years?

The decline in smoking in the U.S. was driven by public health initiatives such as warning labels on cigarette packaging, bans on cigarette ads from TV, and regulations targeting tobacco companies. These efforts, along with increased awareness of smoking-related health risks, reduced smoking rates from 43% in 1965 to 18% today.

What is the significance of the Marlboro Man in cigarette marketing?

The Marlboro Man symbolized the rugged, independent image associated with Marlboro cigarettes. However, this image was tarnished by the fact that several actors who portrayed the Marlboro Man died from smoking-related diseases, highlighting the dangerous irony of tobacco advertising.

Why did tobacco companies target countries like Indonesia despite declining smoking rates in the U.S.?

Tobacco companies targeted countries like Indonesia because they had high smoking rates and few restrictions on tobacco advertising. In Indonesia, for example, two-thirds of adult males smoke, creating a profitable market for cigarette companies like Philip Morris International (PMI).

How has Philip Morris International responded to regulations in other countries?

Philip Morris International has aggressively fought against tobacco regulations, including plain packaging laws. The company has used legal challenges to resist laws designed to reduce smoking rates, often threatening smaller countries with expensive lawsuits to protect their market share.

What was the reaction to Australia's plain packaging law?

Australia's plain packaging law, which mandated drab cigarette packaging with graphic health warnings, led to a decline in tobacco consumption. Tobacco companies, including PMI, fought the law through lawsuits, claiming it violated their intellectual property rights, ultimately taking the case to international courts.

How did Philip Morris International use international trade agreements to challenge public health laws?

PMI exploited a 1993 trade agreement between Australia and Hong Kong, placing its Australian business under a Hong Kong-based subsidiary to claim that Australia's plain packaging law infringed on PMI's trademark rights. This allowed them to file a lawsuit in an international court, despite the law being aimed at public health.

What role did other countries play in challenging Australia's plain packaging law?

Countries like Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and Ukraine filed complaints with the World Trade Organization against Australia's plain packaging law, despite having little to no trade in tobacco with Australia. These nations were likely influenced by the tobacco industry's lobbying efforts to challenge the law.

How has Philip Morris International's legal tactics affected smaller countries like Uruguay and Togo?

Smaller countries like Uruguay and Togo have faced significant legal challenges from PMI. Uruguay, which passed laws requiring larger health warnings on cigarette packs, has been sued by PMI for years. Similarly, Togo, one of the world's poorest countries, faced legal threats over tobacco regulations, with PMI threatening multi-billion-dollar lawsuits, pressuring these countries to back down from implementing stronger public health measures.

What is the proposed 'compromise' suggested in the script regarding tobacco marketing?

The script humorously suggests a 'compromise' by introducing a new mascot for Marlboro: 'Jeff the diseased lung in a cowboy hat.' The idea is to satirically highlight the absurdity of tobacco marketing by offering it as a branding tool, poking fun at the industry's disregard for public health while emphasizing the dangers of smoking.