Cartoon characters and fruity flavors, often recognized as symbols of childhood, are now being used to market dangerous products to kids. Large corporations only see profits as their motivation without acknowledging the dangerous influence they may have on young audiences. As this troubling pattern continues, when will these companies realize the detrimental effects they are inflicting on future generations?
(Picasa)
In the 90’s, there was a popular mascot named Joe Camel, who was used to advertise cigarettes for the R.J Reynolds Tobacco Company. This character became known worldwide, similarly to how children recognize Mickey Mouse or the Disney logo. The rate of young smokers had skyrocketed, and many were upset by this. Reynolds soon faced a lawsuit along with a formal complaint from the Federal Trade Commision under the terms of “unfair practices” regarding the exposure of smoking to children. RJR denied the accusations but ended the campaign in 1997.
You would expect that this trend would be left back in the 90s, but it has only gotten worse. Many nicotine companies such as JUUL, ELFBAR, GEEKBAR, and many others are commonly used among young teens and children. These nicotine vapes are brightly coloured with a variety of flavors. Many teens see their favorite social media influencers with these products and feel enticed to ; in their footsteps, unaware of the health risks that come along with it. During one of the many settlements JUUL has faced, the company was required to pay millions to California and New York due to their youth vaping epidemic. The settlement was in order to hold JUUL accountable for their clear promotion of vaping to minors.
Similarly, Whippets which are also known as “Galaxy Gas,” have taken over social media as a trend in younger audiences. These are cans of nitrous oxide, that get inhaled to produce a brief high and feelings of euphoria, anxiety reduction, and hallucinations. Galaxy Gas is marketed for culinary purposes, coming in different flavors to infuse into dishes such as whipped cream. The problem lies where the amount of nitrous oxide used for culinary purposes is in small amounts , such as 1-2 grams of galaxy gas per pint of whipped cream. It’s completely unnecessary for Galaxy gas to come in large sizes such as 1, 2, and 3 liters. This clearly indicates that this product is being marketed for misuse by impressionable teens rather than for culinary use. To add onto this, Galaxy Gas is so easily accessible due to its low price range ($37 for a 1.1L on Amazon). This has led to many teens ending up in the hospital as whippets are highly addictive and can affect your mental and physical health, along with long term effects such as a degradation in motor and decision making skills.
As a community, we must hold these companies accountable and encourage them to stop turning a blind eye to the harmful effects on our younger generations, and to end this dangerous trend before it’s too late.
