Argumentative essay

This world is filled with horrible things that influence our children. The worst influence to our youth is the advertising of tobacco. Every day, more than two thousand children start smoking, mostof them between the ages of 10 and 18. These kids account for most of all the new smokers. In fact, 90 percent of all adults state that they first start smoking as a teenager. Should tobacco companiestarget young people as their market? It’s an unethical action that young people are the prime targets of tobacco sales since children are easier to manipulate throught advertisements, companies targetpeople under 21 years old in order to get more revenues, and society influences the kids to smoke.

Children are easier to manipulate throught advertisements because of their inocence. Thehead media of tobbaco companies are Marlboro and Camel. Camel uses the smooth character “Joe Camel” and Marlboro uses a western character known as “The Marlboro Man”. Joe Camel is a camel with completestyle that has been attacked by many Tobacco-Free Kids organizations as a major influence on the children of America. Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia reported that almost every 6 yearsold recognize Joe Camel as they recognize Mickey Mouse. That is very shocking information for any parent to hear. Children are attracted by these advertisements because they like cartoons, and theythink that a cartoon is harmless and what the cartoon does is harmless too. There are so many cigarettes advertising out there that a child is sure to be struck by its attention.

The companiestarget people under 21 years old. They claim that their advertising goal is simply to promote brand switching. The senior senator Richard Durbin states that “If we can reduce the number of youngsmokers, the tobacco companies will be in trouble and they know it". The companies go toward a market that is not fully aware of the harm that cigarettes are capable of to keep their industry alive and...