How addiction is ‘sold’ to consumers

Photo: Filepic/The Star

THE tobacco industry has survived despite more than seven decades of tobacco control efforts because of its aggressive marketing and product innovation. Central to the industry’s business model is a 1963 statement contained in the internal documents of American tobacco company Brown & Williamson: “Nicotine is addictive. We are, then, in the business of selling nicotine, an addictive drug.”

Nevertheless, during US Con-gressional hearings held in 1994, the chief executives of seven major tobacco companies testified that they did not believe nicotine was addictive.