Prohibition and cigarettes: a cautionary tale
A leading article in the new issue of Tobacco Asia addresses a curious paradox. ‘The harder governments push bans and taxes, the more alluring cigarettes become.’
‘Prohibition,’ writes associate editor Nattira Medvedeva, ‘historically glamorizes what it attempts to suppress, and today’s regulatory overreach is no different - producing forbidden appeal rather than genuine deterrence.’
Highlighting recent articles in The Times, Guardian, New York Times, and Harper’s Bazaar that have addressed the cigarette’s ’resurgence’ in popular culture, she concludes:
In the end, the cigarette’s cultural comeback is not just about style. It is about autonomy. It is a reminder that adults, not bureaucrats, should decide how to live, what to consume, and what risks to accept. The tobacco industry, for all the odds stacked against it, endures precisely because it understands this truth. And as long as smoking continues to symbolize freedom from overreach, it is unlikely to vanish - no matter how many taxes or bans are piled against it.
I couldn’t agree more and it’s refreshing to read this in a leading tobacco industry magazine. (Tobacco Asia provides news, features, and information for manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors in the Asia, Middle East, and Oceania regions.) It also reflects what Forest has been saying for many years. Here, for example, is short passage from a forthcoming paper:
By placing ever-greater restrictions on tobacco – and explicitly making cigarettes verboten for younger adults – another danger is in making smoking seem edgy, dangerous and fashionable.
It’s already a trend. The Independent’s Olivia Petter wrote last year that 2024 was ‘the year that smoking has officially become “cool” again’. Whether it was the catwalks of London Fashion Week, pop stars like Charli XCX or actors like Anya Taylor-Joy, being photographed with a fag in your hand is the new way to seem ironic, an outsider who doesn’t give a damn about ‘the rules’. There’s even an Instagram account, @cigfluencers, with nearly 75,000 followers.
The new issue of Tobacco Asia also features an article - ‘Excise Taxes and the Global Surge in Illicit Tobacco: A Cautionary Tale’ - that includes a quote by me:
“When 86% of the cost of a typical pack of 20 cigarettes goes to excise duty, many smokers simply turn to illegal tobacco instead of quitting.”
Clark cited a recent survey commissioned by Forest that showed that 70% of adults in the UK believe that buying tobacco from the black market is understandable given the high legal prices. He pointed out that years of aggressive tax hikes have led to diminishing returns, as consumers adapt and seek alternatives.
Click here to download the article. The full magazine is available to read here.
