There was once a time when combustible cigarette advertising was everywhere promoting use as a glamorous, exciting, and recreational way of life. While today’s tobacco laws strictly limit promotion and advertising to the risks, tobacco companies are still finding ways to reach children through in-store and online advertising.
The study
According to research from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, in 2020, 79% of teenagers reported exposure to tobacco ads, as published in the December 2021 issue of the journal Pediatrics.
While most of the exposure was reported from retail store-based advertisements, internet-based advertisements were at an all-time high.
“Kids are primarily seeing tobacco ads online via the internet and social media, where policies may exist, but they are especially challenging to enforce and regulate,” explained Xiao Li, MA, the lead study author and researcher at Washington University School of Medicine’s School of Psychology.
What were the results?
Despite tobacco ads on television and radio being banned since 1971, researchers say that children are still seeing plenty of advertisements in stores and on social media. These findings were based on a sample of 139,795 adolescents ages 11 to 19 years old who participated in the National Youth Tobacco Survey.
“Big Tobacco knows it must hook kids early because once the brain develops, it’s not nearly as susceptible to nicotine addiction,” said Mary Coyne, an advertising expert who works with Tobacco Free Amarillo.
“Advertising works…in the hands of those motivated by greed, the results can be deadly.”
What can be done?
The study concluded that more regulation is needed for tobacco and combustible cigarette advertising, especially at the point of sale and on social media.
“Strict policies need to be developed and implemented for reducing tobacco ads online. It should not be easy for kids to be exposed to online content about tobacco, especially when it encourages tobacco use,” wrote Li.
It’s also recommended that parents counter tobacco and combustible cigarette advertising by monitoring their children’s social media use and talking with them about the health dangers of smoking.
What do you think? Are further restrictions needed for tobacco and combustible cigarette advertising?
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