December
18

With Christmas exactly one week away, we take you back to a time when Santa was a pitch man for Big Tobacco.

Once upon a time, cigarettes were a Christmas present favorite – the gift that kept on giving (cancer). While kids were busy unwrapping their dolls and toy cars, dad was opening his carton of Camels. And the tobacco industry wasn’t shy about promoting their products for the holidays.

 

Ho, Ho. Cough, Cough!
Merry Christmas from Cigarette Santa!
Who doesn’t enjoy a Christmas light?
Pall Mall’s: Regifted in the form of secondhand smoke to your friends and relatives.
All wrapped up and ready to go, with an endorsement from Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball.
More like: Cigarettes will make your dreams go up in smoke.
Look: Big Vape is getting in on the reindeer games.

Notice how tobacco companies made cigarette cartons look like pretty holiday packages for perfect gifting. (if you want to call the number one cause of preventable death a gift.)

When Santa Claus comes to town in 2019, he comes without the cigarettes.  Big Vape and Big Tobacco still feature bright colors and shiny packages on the store shelves, but be careful: He sees you when you’re vaping.