The Industry Sells Flavor with a Side of Addiction
The tobacco industry doesn’t just sell nicotine. It sells addiction, illness, and death — wrapped in flavors like bubblegum, mango, and menthol. But these flavors aren’t harmless. They trick young people into trying highly-addictive products and make it harder to quit once they’re hooked.
Big Tobacco spent decades perfecting this trap. Tobacco companies researched how flavors mask the burn of nicotine. They studied what tastes appeal most to teens. Then they loaded up vapes, pouches, chew, and menthol cigarettes with sweet, cooling flavors and pushed them into communities.
Let’s call this what it is: a calculated plan to hook new users and replace the ones they’ve lost.