# Cigarette ads should be legal on tv **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 28, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-ads-should-be-legal-on-tv/305931 "2005-05-28T22:49:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-ads-should-be-legal-on-tv/305931/21 "2005-05-30T03:21:34Z")
> [@SHAKES](#): > > I think the logic behind this (at least so I’ve heard) is that the alcohol companies said from the word go that: “Hey this shit will kill ya!” > > Where as the tobaco companies didn’t, nor did they say anything about it being addictive. Which led to the lawsuits, yadda yadda yadda… > > So in short, the tobaco companies screwed themselves. Had they been honest in the first place like the alocohol companies, We’d still be seeing the Marlboro man ridding around on his horse on TV. When have the alcohol companies, then or now, **advertised** “Hey this shit will kill ya!”? They didn’t. However, I must concede that by the time TV came around, it was pretty much common knowledge what the dangers of alcohol consumption were. In fact they were thought so great that alcohol was made illegal in the US during the Prohibition era. The full dangers of smoking were realized only much later. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-ads-should-be-legal-on-tv/305931/22 "2005-05-30T06:17:10Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > When have the alcohol companies, then or now, **advertised** “Hey this shit will kill ya!”? They didn’t. However, I must concede that by the time TV came around, it was pretty much common knowledge what the dangers of alcohol consumption were. In fact they were thought so great that alcohol was made illegal in the US during the Prohibition era. The full dangers of smoking were realized only much later. I didn’t mean to imply that came right out on tv and said “It will kill ya.” What I meant was, if promted; They were always forth comming (sp?) of the dangers. Where as Tobaco campanies weren’t. Hell, I remeber seeing a documentry about tobaco; Where in, once upon a time; doctors used to prescribe smoking to patients with stress issues. I’m also sure doctors back then didn’t have a problem with prescribing a shot o’ whiskey here and there. but still. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-ads-should-be-legal-on-tv/305931/23 "2005-05-31T03:36:04Z")
There have been a number of posters in this thread who seem to think that ads for alcohol and ads for cigarettes can/should be linked. The huge difference between the two is that there is a level of alcohol consumption (which many, many people stick to) which has absolutely no negative effects. The same cannot be said of cigarettes. There is no safe level of cigarette use, but there is a safe level of alcohol use. I imagine that is the main reason why ads for alcohol are allowed, while ads for cigarettes are banned. (While many studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption is actually beneficial, that is going a step further than necessary to show why the comparison is not valid.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-ads-should-be-legal-on-tv/305931.md?page=1)