Advertising of Tobacco -Who Does It Target?

I had the pleasure of reading Jean Kilbourne's "Deadly Persuasion: The Advertising Of Alcohol and Tobacco". Her analysis of the marketing stategies used in the tobacco and alcohol industries, were honest and blunt analysis on the subjects were quite refreshing butalso very disturbing. According to jeankilbourne.com "advertising is an over $200 billion a year industry. We are each exposed to over 3000 ads a day! These commercials,ads, and promotions have one agenda-profit. The images that are seen project a sence of success,worth, love and sexuality, popularity and normalcy." They tell us who we are and who we should be which in turn sets social standards in our society.They are the selling the public addiction this brings us to the title, who do these advertisments really target? After taking a brief survey of a few of the most popular tobacco brands, I noticed how pleasant the advertising was, for example Newport cigarettes-their logo is "Newport Pleasure!" and "Alive with Pleasure", these slogans have been apart of Newport advertising since the 70's. Particularly in the African-American communities in America, Newport cigarettes are sold at a staggering rate in comparison to other popular brands of cigarettes. http://www.tobaccofree.org/ Research indicates that"while an alarming 45% of African-American adults smoke Newport cigarettes a rocking 80% of young African-American's smoke this particular brand.These cigarettes were advertised in dance clubs and hip-hop music venues across the country."
According to http://www.socialaw.com/, in 2007 a law suit was brought against Lorillard Tobacco Co. the manufacterers of Newport by a Mr. Willie Evans, claiming that Newport cigarettes marketing is what killed his mother. Their marketing strategies in low-income African-American communities made in virtually impossible to resist smoking their brand of cigarettes. It was even brought up in the case that, "Ms. Evans was given free samples of Newport cigarettes as a teenager regardless of age. Newport cigarettes contain menthol a agent that facilitates the initiation in smoking and the developing of a smoking habit in children."
The truth of the matter is that tobacco companies know exactly what they are doing, they are planting the seed of addiction, watering it and keeping the plant alive. Not just in adults but in Newport cigarettes case they are targeting young African-American's, by keeping them addicted to their brands it is building a lifelong financial relationship as well as addiction and a wide range of immediate and delayed effects on the body. In inner cities all across America there are more cigarettes ads than any other product sold. The misleading images of happiness, health, and success are causing children and young adults to be driven right into the hands if the biggest drug pushers of all.