Janice Milliman, Quit Coach, Service Delivery:
What are you going to get your dad for Father's Day this year? A tie? A watch? An electronic cigarette? If your dad is a smoker, don't be lured by e-cig companies who use many of the tobacco companies' marketing tactics.
On June 19th at the NASCAR race, one lucky dad will celebrate Father's Day in style: seeing his face on the hood of driver Mike Bliss' Ford during the race. My dad would be thrilled to death, and I would be the best daughter in the world, at least for the day.
The contest is sponsored by blu Cigs, an e-cig company also sponsoring the No. 32 blu Cigs Ford team car. My concerns? There is insufficient evidence that e-cigs are safe, society is still reinforcing the appearance of tobacco use, and countless people dole out money on them only to be greatly disappointed.
Out of curiosity I visited the blu Cigs Facebook page to see what their marketing tactics were all about. Just like cigarette ads, there's a lot of sensuality going on there. In a blue back-lit room a man smoking an e-cig is surrounded by four beautiful and seductive-looking women, all with drink in hand. E-cigarettes are the new cool - what's not to like? Blu isn't the only e-cigarette company taking its cue from Big Tobacco. Others, like South Beach Smoke, have begun to market to Hollywood. At the MTV Video Awards, many celebrities posed for photos with e-cigs in their mouths and smiles on their faces. Why? Because South Beach Smoke was featured at the show - and provided free e-cigs to celebs in the "gifting lounge." What good role models they are, glamorizing a deadly habit that 3,450 kids will try for the first time this year. I've heard the argument, "But they're not real cigarettes." That may be true, but kids have more difficulty making that distinction. If kids are tempted to try smoking, they're more likely to buy a $6 pack to give it a try versus the $69.95 blu Cig starter kit.
Some defenders of the e-cig have said they keep people from smoking real cigarettes and that eventually they can help them quit tobacco for good. These claims have yet to be proven. At least blu doesn't try to market the e-cigarette as a cessation device. Straight from their FAQ page: "Blu should not be used as a quit smoking device as it has not be approved by the FDA as a cessation device."
Even when my dad smoked, which was many years ago, he wouldn't have liked the e-cig as a Father's Day gift. What about your dad? Would he be swayed by NASCAR's ploy if it meant he could see his face on the big screen? Would your children pause to wonder whether their favorite starlets have inside information on the safety of e-cigarettes? Would you?