Fig. 1 "Smoking Deaths"
Introduction
Tobacco was truly the first cash crop for America, and for good reasons. Tobacco is medically proven to alleviate symptoms such as pain and anxiety. Unfortunately, it comes with many adverse effects including organ damage, a reduction to general health, an increased susceptibility to cancer, as well as many other health risks. The big question is why do people keep using tobacco products such as cigarettes, knowing the possible adverse affects? The answer is an alkaloid called nicotine. Nicotine “binds to and activates receptors called the cholinergic receptors” that “leads to an increase in the number of cholinergic receptors and changes in the sensitivity of these receptors” (Nicotine Effects www). This forces a smoker to use more cigarettes to maintain normal brain function, which forms an addiction. This problem is still being faced today and is continuing to grow by the introduction of a new type of cigarette, “e-cigs”. E-cigs serve as a new and innovative way to get involved with tobacco. Unlike the “Victory Cigarettes” present in 1984, which are provided by the Party and are meant to be grotesque and unappetizing. What they have in common is their means of control. E-cigs were introduced to get more people addicted to nicotine and become indebted to tobacco companies. Victory Cigarettes are for the purpose of the Party controlling its’ citizens through a skewed appearance of the world and deprivation. Unbeknownst to most, large tobacco corporations control the lives of countless Americans through addiction to their potentially life threatening products, slowly converting America to a totalitarian nation much like the “fiction” of 1984.
1984 follows the protagonist, Winston, in a dystopian world where mere thoughts about rebellion are illegal. This is a very important theme in the plot, because the autocratic Party follows that “reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else” (Orwell 51). Thus it is of great importance to the Party that it control what is in the minds of its’ citizens. Their society from a reader’s point of view is a disease ridden, war torn, dictatorial, unkempt world that is unlivable. However, the majority of the citizens in the book feel that there is nothing wrong with the world, because of government-imposed methods such as doublethink. Doublethink is “to believe that democracy is impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy” (Orwell 35). Doublethink is achieved by a variety of methods of which drugs are paramount. Included in ration for the citizens are Victory Cigarettes. These cigarettes are putrid and are generally falling apart, but nevertheless are very important to citizens like Winston. He uses these cigarettes to feel calm and alleviate his anxiety, even though he lives in the embodiment of fear. When used the cigarettes in the book “the world began to look more cheerful” (Orwell 27). This state of mind allowed him to objectively think about his situation and critique the Party, which seems to go against what the party’s wishes. However, the Party has assigned Victory Cigarettes to him and they understand how they make Winston feel. Winston rebels, but that just plays into the Party’s hand. The Party wants those who are not completely loyal to rebel, so they can “fix” them into loving Big Brother and the Ideology of the Party, which inevitably happens to Winston. In the real world it is not an aristocratic Party trying to control its’ citizens, but instead large tobacco conglomerates. They are fully aware of the negative effects of tobacco and nicotine and yet they sell cigarettes anyway. They have marketed cigarettes as a vehicle to look cool and as safe. For many years this was deemed to be true by the corporations and most people. The problem with proving this is the unethical nature of doing experiments on humans with potentially life threatening substances. The majority of people were not concerned, believing that cigarettes did not cause them harm and the withdrawal from the lack of smoking was much worse than the money they had to pay. It took decades for the majority to believe that cigarettes are truly harmful. Unfortunately, for many it was too late. Tobacco companies already had control over them, because of their addiction. Today, the number of nicotine addicts has decreased. However, tobacco companies are not so easily willing to give up their control. Their answer to the drop in cigarette smokers is a new product, e-cigs that would be better tasting and healthier for users. In fact, 94% of users believe it is less harmful to their health and 77% of users prefer the taste to cigarettes (Electronic Cigarettes (e-cigs) www). To date there has not been enough research to determine how harmful e-cigs potentially are to its users. What has been determined is that “more than one-third of teens and young adults who tried the battery-powered devices wound up smoking tobacco within one year” and “by comparison, only 10 percent of those who had never used e-cigarettes ended up becoming smokers” (E-Cigs Lead to Smoking Real Cigarettes www). This control, can be compared to doublethink in the book 1984. When people begin to think that cigarettes are bad, tobacco companies will give them something else to go against their better judgment.
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Fig. 2 Koterba "E-Cig Teen"
Fig. 3 "Graphic Cigarette Labels"
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Fig. 4 Bites "Electronic Cigarettes and Health"
Conclusion
The world in the book 1984 is fiction. Unfortunately, one can draw a parallel between the government in the book and the tobacco conglomerates of today. While we do not live under the rule of a totalitarian government controlling the population with drugs, our fellow Americans control us through the addiction of nicotine. By gaining stable command over the market, regardless of the unethical avenue it takes them to get there, they can reach their goal of control thereby earning them incalculable wealth. In the book 1984 the population succumbed to doublethink, allowing the government to dictate what to believe. It is paramount that our population does not give in to doublethink, regardless of the package the information comes wrapped in. It is through critical thinking, questioning and use of better judgment that will allow people to make smart choices, and continued autonomy.