“The plums are here to be plucked.” That is how big tobacco companies described its new strategy to grow cigarette sales within the military community in the 1980’s. (1) Although smoking rates have decreased in past years, thanks to the efforts of anti-smoking campaigns and organizations, the...

Growing up, my mother was a smoker and I hated it. We were taught in school how bad cigarettes are for your health, so whenever she bought cigarettes I called them her “death sticks” or “cancer sticks.” I asked her once why she started smoking since she knew it was bad for her health. She told...

Growing up with an immediate family that never smoked or used any other kind of tobacco products meant I never really had to pay attention to it when I went to a grocery or convenience store. After learning more about tobacco, its history, and how it’s sold I’ve started to see and realize things...