McDonalds & Phillip Morris

This week's blog will be about two companies which might have more in common than one might initially believe.

Approximately 18 months ago, after a nasty case of food poisoning, I decided to stop eating at McDonalds forever. Today I can say with confidence that I have not touched their food since starting the ban, though I have driven-through several times for other people in my car. Sometimes I miss all the salty treats at the golden arches. Recently McDonalds brought back their Monopoly promotion, which I loved as a kid, and includes a surge in commercials on TV. Of course, the only burger in their ads is my favorite, the Big Mac. I had a nightmare two days ago where I relapsed on McDonalds and stuffed my face with Big Macs. I woke up feeling guilty the rest of the day for no reason, except from the shame of how lucid and pleasurable the dream really was.

I live in a small town called Belmont, which borders San Mateo and has 2 McDonalds to serve a population of 25,000. I found out today that Belmont has recently become the first city in the country to completely ban smoking cigarettes within city limits. It is illegal to smoke in your car, in your home, on the sidewalk, in a parking lot, and anywhere else. While not a criminal offense, a smoker such as myself can be fined up to $1000 for enjoying themselves within view of the bored and over-funded Belmont police. My afinity for cigarettes is no longer welcome here, but I don't plan on changing my habits any time soon.

The fast food industry in Belmont is stronger than ever, but can be just as deadly as smoking. Both cigarettes and fast food are addictive, cheap, widely-available, and kill people by the millions. One can further argue that McDonalds promotes chronic usage of their product to the fullest extent, made famous in the documentary Super Size Me. McDonalds and Phillip Morris share a history of almost identical product promotion. It would only seem logical to ban the consumption of fast food in Belmont as well. Perhaps I should point this out at the next City Council meeting.