I'd really hate to harm a locally owned store but the cigarettes do send the wrong message.

Perhaps they should have a "nostalgia" area of the shop that is clearly meant for grownups?

I always thought we'd sort of sheltered our children from the concept of smoking, but just the other day, my older son took a straw in his mouth and said, "Look, I'm smoking!" and then my younger son took his french fry, dipped the end in ketchup and put it in his mouth and said, "Look, I'm smoking, too!"  I was shocked!  We had a good talk about why smoking is so unhealthy and how once you start it's very very very hard to stop so it's better to never start, etc.

business over this frankly.  I thin what you've done is great though.  

I have to say I have the fondest memories of the packets of chocolate cigarettes my dad would bring me from the Fanny Farmers in the prudential center in Boston... I was seriously bummed when they stopped making them... I would prance around my room for hours posing with them like Bette Davis in All About Eve with her oh so elegant cigarette holder!

It doesn't seem worth it to patronize their store if it makes you uncomfortable.  If you have other people who share your concerns you might see if they'd write a letter as well.

I think they should definitely put them out of sight of children if they are going to continue selling them.  Especially in a candy store.  Who goes to candy stores?  (Besides all these nostalgic baby boomers apparently) Children.

Personally, I don't really believe there is such a strong baby boomer market that to put these things behind the counter would kill their business.  I would suspect they just don't like being called on it.  Or they have some emotional attachment to these things.

I wouldn't go there anymore either if they are still in sight of little children.  That's just plain wrong.

Your response back was good citing the research.  Let them do what they want to go now.

I don't really have any extra sympathy for the store just because it is a locally-owned store.  That is great and all, but they still have a responsibility to the community.

and I hated candy cigarettes. Personally, i give my kids a little more credit-that they'll follow my example and lead now that I've quit.

You've spoken to the store owner, and your children know better. If no one buys them, the store will stop carrying them. I guess I just don't see what the huge deal is. I never deluded myself into believing they were real, or cool as a child, but that's me.

as a kid. Those and bubble gum cigars! My dad and most of my aunts and uncles all smoked when I was a kid. Almost all of them quit years ago but I certainly inhaled a lot of second hand smoke growing up. Maybe that's why smoking never appealed to me -- I was around it so much and thought it was awful.

Not sure what I would do in your shoes. You obviously feel very strongly about it as it seems your daughter does as well. In that situation I would probably bypass the store, of course letting them know of my decision not to shop there anymore.

that the store owner relies so heavily on her own anecdotal experiences, while dismissing yours as well as the research.  It reminds me of George Bush -- "I believe...." when all the evidence points to a contrary conclusion.  (Yesterday he was blabbing on about how he "believes" Abu Gonzalez testified for hours and handed over thousands of documents and therefore must be a good person, nevermind that the testimony was a new art form of the absurd and he has most assuredly NOT turned over all of the requested documents.  Once again, Bush is completely wrong by every objective measure, but as long as believes it, we should keep our traps shut.)

It sounds like she has decided she wants to carry those candy cigarettes no matter what.  I think if it upsets or confuses your daughter to go there, you are justified in going elsewhere.

what a coincidence this diary is!  Dh and I were reminicing the other day about candy and our personal favs.  Dh said he loved the candy cigs; myself, I thought they were nasty tasting as a kid.  

This shop must be one of those nostalgia type shops, because I have never seen them sold anywhere in years.  Not sure about the boycott, but I see your point. I guess if they get enough complaints they will yank them.

I find it wonderful that your daughter was mortified. Taken from the isolated view of my own family, I would see the candy cigarettes next to the other candy as a great lesson. If you can teach a child to say no to the bad candy that's in with the rest of the candy, maybe he/she will say no to an acquaintance offering them a cigarette.

I'm not sure I would do much to take action against it. For me, it falls under the category of, "What can I control? What should I expend my energy trying to control?"

If I really felt strongly about candy cigarettes and children's public health, I would try to make it a legislative issue. Find a representative that is interested in pushing positive youth health initiatives and suggest a ban on candy cigarettes. There are similar items on ballots all over the country.

>I find it wonderful that your daughter was mortified.

I find it very very difficult to believe that a 5 year old in a candy shop was mortified about anything.

Back when I was a student, I once drove an ice cream truck for a summer.  They asked me to stock candy cigarettes with the brand name "Hey Man Cool".  Chewing gum, in a paper wrapper, with some kind of flour or powdered sugar that you could blow out to make "smoke".  The box had a cowboy with a lasso and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.  I refused to sell them on my truck (mostly because I realized that candy cigarettes might offend some parents, potentially limiting the amount of ice cream money they handed out).  But I did buy several boxes for my college dorm room.  Hey Man, Cool!

I believe the shop keep is probably correct in stating that most of the buyers are nostalgic 30-somethings.  And there are probably more important things for parents to worry about.  And I am 100% certain that your daughter's decision to smoke or not smoke will not be influenced in any way by candy cigarettes.  Give her some credit, and lay off hassling the local candy shop.