Youth think movies don't glorify tobacco products?

Youth think movies don't glorify tobacco products?

A Poem by matthew scott harris
"

the idea for this poem linkedin to a contest courtesy The Week. At the back of the magazine, one can enter a writing competition detailing a slogan predicated on key information.

"

but nicotine products yoke;

kill where addiction gets woke,

thus important to toke
to sons and daughters
concerning nasty habit smoke -

king entails and protest to revoke
faux glamour cause cancer sticks poke
a hole in campaign to
"lighting up," no joke puffing
like a drag -
ain't gonna bring no magic,
thus implicate advertising companies
that deliberately target young folk

yup...

recalcitrant teens
disregard "lighting up,"

a nasty b***h to kick habit
and nip in the bud
without any ifs, ands, nor buts

cause recalcitrant kids oblivious
to a thousand cuts

while Rome burns Nero fiddles
and responsible parties futz
lack aggressive action that guts
proliferation where "f*g" juts

out of mouth
adding stink to captain klutz

and kids feel nuts

not to fit in with the crowd,
whereby bullied
and being called putz
but driving home
hazards of "lighting up"

analogous to floor the accelerator
only digging deeper ruts

and essentially find plea
to prevent sons and daughters
to turn third eye blind,
when pressure
to cook lungs backfires

only years later damage
dirty deeds done dirt cheap
courtesy deigned to alarm
against temptation
that will cause harm
and ground out
before first stub extinguished
lest public service announcement

aired for naught,
hence aggressive protest
against inhaling nicotine
at first might be met with apathy,
yet successful message
eventually driven home
as loving mama
or papa doth weep
that graphic grim
emphysema gagging veep
will be proof positive
how carcinogens seep
into major organs of body electric
guaranteeing death sentence
will surely reap
illness such as emphysema,
another unnecessary statistic
hopefully delivers
ashen face blunt truth

Dangerfield Joe Camel touts downside
toward stubborn teens
who try to hide
odoriferous smell
and fabricated and lied

when asked point blank -
but offer pride
against prejudice and be honest
that thee also tried
opening mouth wide

and showing yellowed teeth
and dog awful breath
you took and show
in black and white
often cited in
anti-smoking campaigns
and literature that, on average,
lighting up a single cigarette
shortens a person's life
by approximately 11 minutes
of course lectures
(especially at midnight)
yet maybe me poem

that doth wax and wane
not made in vain,
hence encourage boys and girls
not to board that train

to Willoughby, and explain

perils before strong arm
of the law doth detain
methinks that could definitely impact
impossible mission to constrain
peer pressure to abstain

from starting death sentence,
whereat initial breath
with virgin lips upon
phallic symbol of their choice
cuts longevity one
inhalation and exhalation at a time.

© 2026 matthew scott harris


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Added on January 9, 2026
Last Updated on January 9, 2026

Author

matthew scott harris
matthew scott harris

schwenksville, PA



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Would the real “Matthew Scott Harris” (born January 13th mcmlix) please stand up! Curiosity got the better part of me as mined fingers typed Matthew Scott Harris (quite some time, but I.. more..