Cigarettes are a multi-billion dollar business that will never be abolished that will blessedly curse humankind for the rest of our existence. Scientists are spending millions of dollars researching a single molecule thought to be responsible for nicotine addiction, while counter-advertisers, such as Truth, are employing countless people to help educate the public about the harmful effects of smoking. Companies are making outrageous amounts of money on nicotine patches and gum, and numerous psychologists and counselors are making a more than average living by counseling the people suffering from nicotine addiction. Still, the majority of smokers would rather smoke their favorite cigarette than give up the habit. This essay will prove that various groups and businesses benefit from nicotine and that despite the awareness of addiction and disease, it is an unstoppable industry.

A recent report from the Associated Press stated that a single molecule may be partly to blame for nicotine’s addictive allure. This new finding has sent researchers into a frenzy in the hopes of genetically altering human molecules. The principle works on the premise that nicotine is stored throughout the body and molecules must move on a particular pathway to access these reserves. By simulating this response with a new drug, researchers say they can, “treat the cause without the ramifications of the side effects.” (Henderson A:14). This project has gained support from six of the biggest tobacco research companies in America, and is steadily fueling the economy with fresh products and jobs.

However, other competitors like neurobiologist Daniel McGehee disagree with molecule alteration because in doing so we ultimately “interfere with our ability to find pleasure and joy in normal, healthy things.” Nicotine addiction provides income to thousands of counselors and psychologists who support the traditional methods of dealing with mental addictions. To them the only safe way to treat illness of the mind without the unwanted side effects of artificial drugs is through intense counseling. This does not come at a cheap price either; here is just a brief summary of what one source revealed regarding the annual income of various psychologists in America:

The average annual salary for doctoral-level psychologists, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was $72,830 in 2001. Master's level psychologist earned on average $33,300 in 2001. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors earned a median annual income of $28,510 in 2000. The middle 50 percent earned between $23,280 and $35,250. (All Star Directories)

Despite laws restricting how and where tobacco companies can advertise, the industry spent $12.5 billion on promotions in 2002 (United States). With the potential to create thousands of new jobs and the ability to gain the support of half of those employees as loyal customers, millions of dollars are pumped back into the nicotine industry. Truth sponsors counter-advertisements that help promote awareness about the dangers of smoking. The Associated Press released a report that says these counter-arguments against smoking are working, and have helped to lower smoking Americans to only 22.1% in 2003 (AP). However, Truth is not alone in their efforts. Even the largest tobacco company in the world, Phillip Morris, has an ad on television informing of the dangers of smoking. Morris recently contributed $60 million to charities in 1998 and is a sponsor of the CDC. This is not to say that the tobacco industry are nice and innocent, but rather most donations to charity are done because of lawsuits and for the sake of positive publicity. The website offers unlimited information on the dangers of smoking and ways to quit, all while providing its share of jobs and contributions to the economical welfare of the tobacco industry.

To help smokers quit, Nicotine Replacement Therapy has been introduced into the nicotine market. Companies offer convincing stories that you can use their products to quit smoking and save money doing it. However, this too is an industry that benefits from nicotine. These products are sold over the counter and can be found in drug stores as well as your neighborhood grocery market. The access to this product offers people not only a means of quitting smoking, but gives the consumer the opportunity to substitute one habit for another. John R. Polito wrote an article on NTR and suggests that approximately 50 million smokers in the United States, and 15.7 million attempting to quit each year, NRT sales are expected to bring drug manufacturers billions in profits. (Polito).

Health concerns are on the top of the list when it comes to quitting smoking. Smoking is believed to be responsible for cancer, cardio vascular disease, and reproductive disorders, but this knowledge does not seem to convince those that are dedicated to Phillip Morris and other nicotine sources. A recent study done in Europe involved over 5,000 heart attack victims and showed that 52% of those individuals that had smoked previously, continued to smoke despite being told to quit smoking (The Associated Press). Just knowing that smoking is the third leading killer of our species is not enough, and thus leads to the need to find cures for the many diseases caused by smoking. This allows the smoker to continue smoking and contributing to the tobacco industry, while doing damage to themselves that, according to MMRW, will ultimately cost them millions of dollars in medical costs and research . With this self created necessity for knowledge, smoking indirectly influences us to expand our minds to many different areas of the world and contributes even more to the economy of nicotine.

After speaking with a few smokers and questioning why they made the choice to continue smoking, despite the known risks, it has become apparent that smokers accept the risks, consciously choose to light up, and simply do not think they should give up their enjoyment of nicotine to save their health. Such responses vary from “I know the risks, but I would rather enjoy my cigarette” and “I have tried to quit, but I just do not want to be without my habit” or even tales of defense such as “my Grandfather smoked his whole and life and lived to be 90!” However, the ultimate conclusion to all these comments is fewer and fewer of these smokers actually quitting, while the tobacco industry steadily profits from their addiction.

With the tobacco industry making all these millions of dollars and providing so many diverse jobs, it almost seems frivolous for people to debate the ethics of smoking. Regardless of whether you are a smoker or not, the evidence is clear that smoking is not as bad as some sources may claim. Without smoking, there may be several other useful ideas to generate jobs and income; however, many millions of Americans would lose their freedom to enjoy smoking, and it is not illogical to project a rise in criminal activities and drug abuse if nicotine were to become outlawed. Conclusively, with the uncountable millions the nicotine industry is making each and every year, smoking will not ever go away. It is best to quit if you can, but there is little reason to worry because you are helping to contribute to the wealth and happiness of millions of people regardless.

As Composed by Jeremy Marston

English Comp 2

12/2/04

All Star Directories. All Psychology Schools. 2004. 1 Dec. 2004 <http://www.allpsychologyschools.com/about/tou.php>.

Henderson, Diedtra. “Molecule a Clue to Allure of Nicotine.” Florida Times Union 05 Nov. 2004:A-14

“Heart ills don't scare smokers into quitting.” The Associated Press 30 Aug. 2004. 1 Dec. 2004. <http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5868428/>.

“MMWR — Annual Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Economic Costs — United States, 1995–1999” CDC 12 April. 2002. 1 Dec. 2004. <http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/research_data/economics/mmwr5114.highlights.ht m>.

“One puff of smoke can damage DNA.” The Associated Press 1 Oct. 2004. 1 Dec. 2004. <http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6152449/>.

Philip Morris USA and Philip Morris International. 14 July 2004. <http://www.stanford.edu/group/SICD/PhilipMorris/pmorris.html>.

“Smoking declines slightly in the United States.” The Associated Press 10 Nov. 2004. 1 Dec. 2004. <http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6454457/>.

United States. Federal Trade Commission. Cigarette Report for 2002. 1 Dec. 2004. <http://www.ftc.gov/reports/cigarette/041022cigaretterpt.pdf>.

Polito, John R. “Is Nicotine Replacement Therapy The Smoker's Last Best Hope?”

Why Quit Smoking. 17 June 2003. 1 Dec. 2004 <http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_NRT.html>.