Anti Smokers

Recognising Anti-Smoking Types

In a section of his book 'Dissecting Antismoker Brains' Michael J McFadden deals with the different type of antismokers' and their various personality traits and behaviours.

Below is a condensed summary of the nine types of anti-smokers identified in Michael McFadden's book, "Dissecting Antismokers' Brains. While the description of antismokers is only a small part of his book overall, it lays an important groundwork for understanding them and learning how to fight against them.

Dissecting Antismokers brains by Michael J McFadden

1) The Innocents
This group, ordinarily life long non smokers, would in general normally accept smoking and smokers as part and parcel of the world around them. However because of media coverage and exposure to anti smoking propaganda they have come to believe a health risk is posed by those smoking around them. This may cause them to alter some behaviour, for instance a preference for non smoking restaurants, but it will usually not be an overriding factor in their decisions. The quality of the food will outweigh concerns as to whether smokers will be present. In love they would prefer a non smoking partner but will look beyond such matters taking account of the bigger picture. They are unlikely to preach to a partner who smokes preferring more reasoned persuasion to help them kick 'the nasty habit'. The ranks of Innocents have grown enormously in the last decade due to media spending by antismoking groups.

2) The Neurotics
Neurotics have significantly greater difficulty than average in dealing contentedly and productively with one or more commonly encountered aspects of life. This difficulty can develop into completely irrational fears, phobias and obsessive compulsive behaviour. This group of people are particularly suspect to the hysteric anti smoking crusade and associated over the top propaganda. Not too long ago a person who refused to enter a bar or restaurant for fear of breathing second hand smoke would probably have been considered a prime candidate for some counselling to alleviate their neurosis. However in today's climate that same person, no matter how irrational or unfounded the fear, will find support and be commended for their action. This further fuels the fire inside the neurotic. People from this group of anti smokers are likely to be the ones who verbally abuse smokers who are total strangers to them for using 'cancer sticks'

3) The Truly Affected
Segments of the population can have allergic reactions to different stimuli such as dogs, pollen, nuts etc. Tobacco smoke can be a trigger for a small segment of the population. For some it is a genuine physical reaction while for others it largely or entirely stems from a psychosomatic foundation. It has to be remembered for people experiencing such reactions they have no way of knowing their true cause and the sensation is real and frightening even if completely psychosomatically based. Incidents of non smokers having a real adverse physical reaction to low levels of tobacco smoke are extremely rare. However as more smoking restrictions and bans are put in place anti-smoking lobbies are claiming more such incidences are occurring in their efforts to extend or implement bans. Those feeling "truly affected" by tobacco smoke were very rare 40 years ago, but have become much more common today

4) The Bereaved
If we hear a person dies from lung cancer or heart disease the question on people's minds is was he a smoker ? If so, ordinary non smokers are content they didn't share this habit with the deceased and are reassured, mistakenly in some cases, that the the grim reaper is unlikely to have their name in the pending tray. For the family of the bereaved their anguish is deeper and the need to know why stronger. They are likely to see it in terms of their deceased having being 'killed by smoking' even if medically this is not really known! The understandable anger and emotion over the loss of a loved one may lead them to desire revenge against the tobacco industry. Unable to get at the tobacco companies the bereaved may move into the circles of the anti smokers, accepting their propaganda and advocating support for smoking bans and taxes as a means for them to get back at the faceless tobacco corporations.

5) Ex-Smokers and Victims
It's not unusual to hear it said that tobacco is "more addictive than heroin." However millions world-wide every year manage to quit without going into convulsions, writhing in agony on the floor, hospitalisation, or forced incarceration. Millions of other smokers manage their habit, smoke very little or consciously choose light brands. Though the addictiveness of smoking is over exaggerated the fact remains many smokers have great difficulty in quitting the habit. For many smokers the process of quitting involves demonising tobacco and all experiences of it in their mind. This visualisation of tobacco as evil strengthens their effort to quit, but after they have done so the devil remains inside urging them back to tobacco. These ex smokers can then expend considerable energies on a mission to eliminate the sight and smell of smoke from the entire world around them and make life hell for smokers in their path. Another group of ex smokers quit as a result of adverse health which they attribute to smoking. Some are genuine in their motivation and desire to prevent others from a similar fate. Then there are those that simply resent that others continue to smoke with no adverse consequence and then become embittered and fully signed up members of the anti smoking brigade.

6) The Controllers
Often due to background insecurities controlling personalities feel a need to exert an abnormal amount of control over the people and world around them. Controllers may be convinced from the media that passive smoking is a health threat or simply see it as a golden opportunity for extra control. In either case they can make life a misery for smokers around them. In relationships and marriages controllers will confiscate cigarettes, force smell inspections on partners, issue punishments for transgressions of both a psychological and physical nature. Their whole aim is control, domination and forcing their will on subjects. Their efforts will not be seen as a vice, but as virtue when they advance the cause of good health and clean air even though their real motivation is simply the satisfaction gained from seeing others comply to their will. The ultimate goal is the creation of laws and punishments embodying and supporting the controllers' desires.

7) The Idealists
A section of this group are sincere, believing smoking causes disease and suffering and making them feel a need to act.. These idealists usually seek constructive and helpful ways to aid those smokers wishing to quit and through education and information persuade people not to start. They do not engage as much in the vilification, demonisation and harassment other groups so readily adopt as tactics. But Idealists with strong feelings, even though they are aware the case against secondary smoke is far from compelling, will still use poorly based studies and surveys to further their cause. Idealists are usually people with professional backgrounds or medical doctors. Arrogant and confident their instincts on smoking are right and correct they feel empowered to twist research to suit their needs. Their real power lies in access to politicians and ability to pass spurious junk science as fact.

8) The Moralists
Moralists have always played a role in antismoking crusades. They seek to portray smoking and smokers as a corruptive influence on society. They will claim smoking is a gateway drug and leads to crime. They also fret over the children of smokers and are exponents of making it a crime for pregnant women to smoke; they'll even push for the removal of foster children from the homes of smokers. In the main moralists are puritanical, prissy and of an unhappy disposition. They see others enjoying themselves and desire to stop whatever they are engaged in as to them it has to be wrong if it involves merriment

9) The Greedy
Anti-Smoking has become big business worth hundreds of millions a year spent on it in America alone. Many see it as a huge future growth area as "health fascism" goes on a world wide march.. This in turn has attracted the greedy from lawyers, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, advertisement agencies, newspapers, researchers etc all more than willing to jump on the antismoking bandwagon in an effort to get in on the action. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into anti smoking organisations providing them with the clout to make big business take notice. Money is not the only driving force though: the anti smoking lobby is now a great way to further careers and open doors both in academia and politics. The greedy care less about the smoking issue or health, and were it to look as if smoking would be banished completely in the morning they would in a flash be onto some other anti campaign whether it be fighting meat, cars, or alcohol.

Conclusion: the overall antismoking movement gains its energy from people in all these groups as they come together and work at different times and in different ways on different campaigns. The Antismoking Movement as such is not a single headed multi-national conspiracy... it is a hydra with many heads, motivations, and forces that has gotten fuelled to incredible growth by tax money over the last 15 or 20 years.

Mr. McFadden's examination of these groups is but the initial segment of his book which goes into far more depth than I can do here.

Dissecting AntiSmokers Brains' provides insight into the forces and motivations driving the activists of what has been called The Great American Antismoking Crusade. It also examines the media-intensive techniques used to mould political opinion and action around this issue. The lessons learned from analysing the use of these techniques in government hearings, in sophisticated television spots, and on highway billboards may help us all resist future efforts by special interest groups control over our thoughts and behaviours

This is a book not just for smokers, but for anyone who lives, works, or plays with smokers in today's world