Greenspan 1

Blake Greenspan

Professor Bedell

CAS 137H Section 2

4 October 2018

The Healthiest Unhealthy Alternative: A Rhetorical Analysis of NicoPure

Nicotine is deadly. Anyone that says otherwise is being deceitful. In 1492, when Christopher

Columbus was first offered dried tobacco leaves, the world changed forever. Tobacco quickly became

prevalent throughout the United States and the world. As a result, a new dominant ideology rose that

smoking was normal. Nearly every president smoked from Washington to Kennedy; however, as tobacco

became linked to cancer and negative health effects, an emerging ideology rose that said no to smoking.

E-cigarettes emerged as a choice that promised to avoid the numerous negative health effects. What

resulted was an illusion that tricked the general public to create an ideology that e-cigarettes are a safe
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choice. By using the iconic idea of “Say No to Smoking”, NicoPure utilizes the dominant ideology that

smoking is harmful in order to make a case for the “safe” alternative: vaping! The National Institute on

Drug Abuse, however, dismisses NicoPure’s credibility and claims through the use of statistical evidence

and research.

To establish a new dominant ideology on e-cigarettes, NicoPure logically reasons with the

audience to strengthen the claims being made. By displaying conventional cigarettes, NicoPure

demonstrates that cigarettes haven’t changed in years. The look of classic cigarettes appears the same in

every photograph from 1860 to 2018. As a result, when NicoPure presents their products, it aligns with

the emerging ideology on e-cigarettes: e-cigarettes are “new, better, and safer” than conventional

cigarettes. Thus, a radically different product in terms of look and material further supports the emerging

ideology that e-cigarettes are safe and new. The dominant ideology that cigarettes are unsafe and never

change is again supported by their logical appeal. Therefore, by validating the dominant ideology on

cigarettes, NicoPure verifies that the emerging ideology about e-cigarettes is correct. They help people

make their own argument by guiding their reasoning. By, again, casting the dominant idea that smoking is

extremely harmful, people may still want to smoke, but this is the choice to make. Through logically

appealing to the dominant ideology on smoking, NicoPure further strengthens the emerging ideology on

e-cigarettes.

To further establish a new dominant ideology, NicoPure utilizes vivid imagery to advance the

emerging ideology of “safe” smoking. NicoPure’s advertisement, additionally, appeals to a young

person’s emotion through various stylistic choices. Front and center, the inclusion of a “Surgeon

General’s Warning” on conventional cigarettes reintroduces the fear of traditional smoking. The idea of

cancer and other life-threatening diseases provide the opportunity to offer an alternative to conventional
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cigarettes. Glancing at NicoPure’s alternative, there is no warning label on their alternative product. Thus,

the presence of a warning label clearly evokes an emotional appeal, and danger is associated as a result

which is avoided in general. This opens the first door to accepting the alternative offered as safer, and

NicoPure uses the emotion and logic of the audience to support their ideology. Furthermore, the

advertisement is visually appealing from the company logo to the design of the bottle. NicoPure uses bold

colors and images like neon blue flames which foster a futuristic idea. For example, Chidum Okeke​, 18,

provides an insight into the beliefs about e-cigarettes. He said the following about e-cigarettes and their

advertisements, “It looks like the coolest thing ever. Almost futuristic” (Barshad, 2018). Once again,

NicoPure uses stylistic choices to support their emerging ideology. Cigarettes have not changed in

decades, but the alternative is new, fresh, and safe. By projecting e-cigarettes as futuristic, the ideas

previously stated are strengthened. Thus, NicoPure is able to reestablish and support their emerging

ideology through the use of this stylistic choice. As a result of effective advertising, the National Institute

on Drug Abuse is beginning to see an increase in e-cigarette use among teenagers. The NIDA reports ​17%

of ​12​th ​graders have reported ​past-month use of e-cigarettes ​(NIDA, 2016). The NIDA takes a harsh and

informational stance on e-cigarette use. They deliver the facts through statistics and research. “Nicotine is

[still] an addictive chemical agent” regardless of its form (NIDA, 2016). The NIDA substantiates their

claims with evidence similar to the above which validates their claims and establishes credibility. This

differs from NicoPure’s advertisements which lacks information and evidence to support their emerging

ideology claims about “safe” smoking.

Thus, through the use of stylistic choices and vivid imagery, NicoPure takes advantage of a

kairotic moment. The NIDA reports that 7 in 10 teens are exposed to an e-cigarette advertisement, and

this catalyzes a flood to e-cigarettes (NIDA, 2016). As a result, teens are 3x as likely to try e-cigarettes.
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Thus, the advertisement kairotically uses these facts to push their product to the youth, and NicoPure tries

to create a new dominant ideology about “safe” smoking with teens. Most Americans would agree with

the emerging ideology that vaping is safer than conventional smoking. Nonetheless, e-cigarette companies

want these ideas to become a dominant ideology. Over 66% of e-cigarette teen users believe that only

flavoring is in their device, and 87% do not know that their product contains nicotine (NIDA, 2016).

Without clear warnings, teenagers are ignorant to the truth. Emma Smith, 18, told her mom and the Today

show that “I don’t think vaping is dangerous” (Pawlowski, 2018). Emma’s lack of knowledge

demonstrates the e-cigarettes companies are not fulfilling their civic duty of educating consumers about

the risks of nicotine and the negative health consequences. Furthermore, we witness the intended

dominant ideology becoming present in society which is fueled through the capitalization of an emerging

ideology about “safe” smoking. The statistics and first-hand account demonstrate the ignorance that can

be found across the United States, and the NIDA hypothesizes this ignorance resulted from the kairotic

and stylistic choices embedded within the advertisements.

It is evident that teenagers are misinformed about the use of electronic cigarettes through lying by

omission; even more concerning, with the exigence of tobacco-free nicotine, NicoPure advances

themselves through a false establishment of character to further encourage e-cigarette use. Their mission

statement states, “​At Nicopure Labs, we recognize that to establish trust we must deliver consistent,

quality, and great-tasting American-made e-liquids that promote tobacco harm reduction” (NicoPure,

2018). NicoPure attempts to be your friend, and they appear to help one through conventional cigarette

addiction. Thus, they create a sense of credibility by fostering a supportive environment. In addition,

NicoPure said, “We fully support reasonable regulation that protects consumers, accomplishes the public

health priority to reduce the grave harm caused by conventional cigarette smoking, and allows businesses
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to survive and innovate for a greater public health vision for our society as a whole” (NicoPure, 2018). By

characterizing conventional cigarettes as a villain, NicoPure advances the emerging ideology about

e-cigarettes. Their alternative appears as a knight in shining armor. Their products will slay the old to

bring about a new and “better” world. Clearly, NicoPure is able to support their emerging ideology

through the characterization of conventional cigarettes and their products. In addition, through the

characterization, NicoPure logically appeals to the emerging ideology that e-cigarettes are the best path to

take. However, it is important to note that NicoPure is creating an equally addictive product with

unknown health effects based off data from the NIDA. Thus, they promote an inaccurate emerging

ideology in order to stronger their questionable ethos. By establishing a false credibility and

characterizing their alternative as the “only and best way”, it easily paves the path to a strong emerging

ideology and new dominant ideology on e-cigarette use.

In ​summation, it is easy to conclude that e-cigarette companies like NicoPure are framing civic

engagement through stylistic advertisements, emotional and logical appeals, and false

information/credibility. As a result, they are creating a new ideology that once again makes the idea of

smoking a commonplace in society; however, there is an upward trend in nicotine addiction among

teenagers which is a direct result of their “civic engagement.” Thus, i​t is very clear that NicoPure wants

the viewer to have their back and support their product, but does NicoPure truly have yours?
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Works Cited

“About Nicopure Labs.” ​Nicopure Labs LLC.,​ NicoPure Labs, 2018, www.nicopure.com/about-us/.

Barshad, Amos. “The Juul Is Too Cool.” ​The New York Times​, The New York Times, 7 Apr. 2018,

www.nytimes.com/2018/04/07/style/the-juul-is-too-cool.html.

Keller, Kate. “‘NicoPure Markets Their Social Superiority over Combustible Cigarettes.’” ​Smithsonian​,

Smithsonian.com, 2017,

www.smithsonianmag.com/history/electronic-cigarettes-millennial-appeal-ushers-next-generation-

nicotine-addicts-180968747/.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Teens and E-Cigarettes.” ​NIDA​, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 11

Feb. 2016, www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/infographics/teens-e-cigarettes.

Pawlowski, A. “Is Your Teen 'Juuling'? Why Parents and Doctors Are so Worried.” ​Today,​ Today, 29

Mar. 2018, www.today.com/health/what-juuling-teen-e-cigarette-trend-worries-doctors-t126062.