Pink cigarettes

Brilliant. A very valid point made in a clever way.

While cigarette companies would never say it, it’s well known in medical circles that nicotine is beneficial to certain women with breast cancer — those carrying the very high risk BRCA genenicotine. See: Recer, Paul (May 19, 1998). “Cigarettes May Have an Up Side”. Associated Press. http://www.forces.org/evidence/files/brea.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-06. Other therapeutic benefits are outlined at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine

Adam – not sure if you’re aware but 20% of all cancers are caused by smoking and considering 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer by age 85 there is nothing helpful about smoking and cancer! It is the most modifiable risk factor

Love this. As someone who works in the charity sector, corporate partners – more than ever – are expecting significant ROI from charity partnerships through leveraging the positive brand association, media coverage etc. It can end up looking more like a traditional sponsorship than anything else.

There has been a swing towards efforts such as cause related marketing which can often be helpful in raising a charity’s brand awareness, though contribute little in terms of actual funding for programs. At worst these efforts can cheapen the charity’s brand.

Not only is this extremely difficult for charities, it’s also extremely confusing for the well intentioned person looking to support a charity!

Love it.

Hey, Steph. So, what you’re saying is smoking is BAD for you?

It’s the nasty cigarette companies that say things like “with smoking comes real risk of serious disease”, so I naturally thought that to be a LIE.

Baby, I think “every-body-knows” smoking isn’t the best thing for your health. Anyone who has read a cigarette pack since the 1970s, at least. For this very reason I prefaced my remarks with “while cigarette companies would never say this…” It seems only peer-reviewed doctors can get away with it (including the radiologist who I enjoyed a smoke with on the weekend…you know who you are).

Stephanie, you should offer your statistic for the long overdue refreshed graphic health warnings on packs. I think we’re all a little tired of the bar graph that shows Australia has unchanged smoking-related mortality rates, despite all the years and millions of dollars spent reducing smoking incidence to the lowest rate in the first world.

My comments were offered as a bit of fun for you, sorry if it was a bit cerebral. Can’t we have a little lighthearted fun, people? The makers of the above ad seem capable! No doubt some uptight bureaucrat or NGO hack will take issue with the words “light hearted” or “cerebral” with some sage advice on heart disease, or brain tumours. Don’t bother, you’re preaching to the perverted.

Unless, of course, you’d like offer some balanced view including some of the economic and other benefits, amidst the doom. You really should. Here’s a PR tip; it will make you look less extreme, and a bit “human”. You might even convince some people to quit smoking.

And that would be a GOOD thing…so long as some people continue the habit for the sake of the do-gooders whose jobs depend on pointing out the obvious. Hey, it might also be a fun conversation, if that’s allowed?

adamjoseph you’re an idiot

Thanks “sven”. Light(en) up, buddy :)-~