So there's this new product on the market for smokers that's NOT a real cigarette, but uses water vapor to appear to be one. The gimmick is that you can smoke it in places that don't allow smoking.....it supposedly tastes and feels like a real cigarette. The commercial that I have seen touts them under the name Blue Tip.
I was talking to hubby after watching one of these and I brought up the 'candy cigarettes' we both grew up with. Seriously....you could go down to the local quickie-mart and in the candy aisle there were these chalky, sweet, red-tipped 'ciggies' packaged under fake and real company names. They blew their own 'fake smoke', which was generally fine, powdered sugar.
My husband brought up the 'candy cigars' (which were actually bubble gum or chocolate). I'd forgotten all about those.
I asked him if he thought there had ever been a study done to find out how many kids who'd eaten/chewed these fake 'tobacco' products grew up to actually smoke. He said he didn't know, but that it would be an interesting study.
I know that, as a kid, I did purchase these candy items, but that I do not smoke as an adult. My question is: does marketing cigarettes/cigars/chew (anyone ever bought Big League Chew?) to children LEAD to adult smoking/tobacco product usage?
How many of you reading this today ever enjoyed these products as a child and NOW SMOKE? I'd be interested to know about your experiences...even if it's family or friends that wound up becoming smokers afterwards. I'm not saying there's a correlation, mind you. It would just be amusing to see the relationship, if there is one.
