Arsenic and Old Language
Updated June 1, 2011 to include the theories of George Lakoff and Simon Chapman
Arsenic and Old Language: A Habermas/Lakoff/Chapman Antidote for the Lethal Tobacco Ideology
Paul Lagergren, M.A.
Speech Communication Department, American River College, Sacramento, California, U.S.A.
Objectives: 1. To reveal through critical analysis those specific message design elements which currently fail to effectively convey to the public with sufficient impact the motivating anti-smoking evidence provided by science. 2. To identify those persuasive message design elements anchored in science most likely to improve prevention rates and motivate increased cessation efforts among whole populations. Method: Jurgen Habermas’ communicative competency theory, George Lakoff’s approach to frame theory, and Simon Chapman’s argument validating “scare” tactics are applied in a critical analysis of the public discourse surrounding the tobacco wars. Results: The analysis reveals primary terms — tobacco, cigarettes, smoking – which are consistently employed in the discourse, to be external event descriptors misconceived in a 16th century, pre-scientific conceptual field. These misconceived terms work to inconspicuously limit the discursive formation to ineffective euphemisms which fail to convey the critical information essential to motivate a healthy choice. Scientifically determined internal event descriptors – poisonous, addictive, diseasing and lethal – serve to reframe the discourse forcing the inclusion of critical information. It’s time we called a spade a spade. Scientific investigation accurately relocates the problem inside the body where the inhaled, poisonous, addictive diseasing particles and gases culminate in lethal consequences. Conclusions: A process of post-scientific re-identification accomplishes the following: 1. Honors the progress of knowledge by reframing the discourse to include internal event descriptors; 2. Justifiably excludes all external event descriptors; i.e. tobacco, smoking, cigarettes, from any meaningful standing in the discourse by revealing these terms as toxic euphemisms; and 3. Establishes a moral imperative demanding full disclosure and the rigorous, consistent employment of all four scientifically-determined internal event descriptors – poisonous, addictive, diseasing and lethal. Examples of reframed discourse which provide for the direct experience of the desired powerful shift in one’s cognitive consciousness are included in this paper.
In 2008, according to the World Health Organization, the tobacco industry is “the biggest killer in the world…responsible for 5.4 million deaths per year.” In the U.S., anti-smoking leaders warn that “one of the nation’s most important health priorities is faltering “ and issue an urgent call for a “redoubling of efforts.” On 30 May 2011, the World Health Organization reported: ”This year, the tobacco epidemic will kill nearly 6 million people, including some 600,000 nonsmokers who will die from exposure to tobacco smoke. By 2030, it could kill 8 million.”