The tobacco advertising industry is one of the most dangerous and deceptive industries. They do not only promote brand switching and loyalty, they also try to attract new smokers, most of these being young people. In fact the tobacco companies make young people their chief target. They try to deny it, but they use ads and promotions that attract young people. It is extremely difficult to get away from tobacco advertising; it is all around us. Companies spend millions of dollars in promotions.

The tobacco industries chief target is young people. 3,000 children start smoking everyday, most of them being between the ages of 10 to 18. These kids make up 90% of all new smokers. In fact, 90% of all adults said they first started smoking as a teenager. These statistics show that young people are a main target of tobacco companies. Manufactures may deny it, but advertising and promotion play an important role in proving that these facts are true.

The tobacco industry uses ads that will appeal to young people. Two very popular ads that are aimed at young people are Marlboro and Camel. Marlboro uses a fictional character called "The Marlboro Man" and Camel uses Joe Camel, a high rolling swinging cartoon character. Joe Camel, the deceptive and clever character, has been attacked by the "Tobacco-Free Kids" organization because it is a major influence on children in America. "To kids, cute cartoon characters mean that the product is harmless, but cigarettes are not harmless. They have to know that their ads are influencing the youth under 18 to begin smoking". (Bristow, Lonnie) In fact Joe Camel, to many 6-year olds, is as well known as Mickey Mouse reports the Medical College of Georgia. Shocking news, is it not?

Tobacco companies try to deny that they target young people. They claim they don't target people under the age of 21; they state they only encourage brand switching and loyalty. However to stay alive and healthy the tobacco industry needs to recruit many new customers everyday just to replace those that were killed by smoking. National surveys estimate that one in three kids hooked on tobacco today will ultimately die from their addiction. So just to survive, the tobacco industry must market their product to those who are not fully aware of the harm cigarettes may cause, which definitely includes young people.

Teens are influenced by tobacco advertising because it is everywhere they look; they can not escape it and are manipulated be the tobacco industry. Tobacco ads are everywhere, especially in teen oriented magazines. They are all around us on billboards, posters and TV. In fact, the tobacco industry promotion takes many forms. "Indirect" advertising is used by the tobacco industry more than any other industry. Indirect advertising includes: sponsorship of sports or cultural events, displays at points of sale, "brand stretching", in which tobacco brand names are used in parts of other product names (e.g. Marlboro Classics clothing), product placement in television shows and movies, direct mailings, special promotions, etc. Indirect advertising is increasingly being used where direct advertising is not allowed. Studies show that young people are easily attracted by this kind of advertising. In fact, most economic studies have found that increased expenditure on tobacco advertising increases the cigarette demand, where as banning advertising leads to the reduction of tobacco consumption.

This information proves that the tobacco advertising industry is very dangerous and deceptive. They target young people by using ads and promotions that appeal to young people, such as using cartoon figures, or sponsoring popular sports events. They claim that they only encourage brand switching and loyalty, but in order to survive they need new naive customers everyday. Children are being manipulated by tobacco advertising. In fact a complete ban on advertising would greatly reduce tobacco sales. Thus tobacco companies do indeed make young people their chief target.

By Pamela
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Websites:

Tobacco Advertising and its dangerous effects on young people. Retrieved September 17, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.google.com/search?q=tabacco+advertising

Tobacco Control Factsheets – Tobacco Advertising. Retrieved December 4, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://factsheet.globalink.org/en/advertising.shtml

How Tobacco Ads Target Kids in Tacoma and Pierce County. Retrieved December 12, 2001 form the World Wide Web: http://www.healthdept.co.pierce.wa.us/tobacco/blbd/kids.html