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Jennifer Brown, Debra Rosen, Maria Carmona | Tobacco Control | (2022)
Key Takeaways
Plain English Takeaway
Tobacco companies use similar tricks in many countries to get kids interested in cigarettes, like putting them near candy and making ads easy for kids to see.
Study Aim
The study set out to document and describe the ways that multinational tobacco companies advertise and promote cigarettes to children and youth at points-of-sale (POS; places where products are sold) near schools and playgrounds in 42 countries, most of which are low- and middle-income. The authors wanted to see if similar marketing tactics are used globally and whether these tactics target young people.
Simply put: The study wanted to find out how tobacco companies try to get kids interested in cigarettes at stores near schools in many countries.
Study Design
From 2015 to 2021, public health professionals and volunteers collected data in 42 countries across all World Health Organization (WHO) regions. They focused on stores within a short walking distance (100–250 meters) of schools and playgrounds. Data collectors used maps and mobile apps to record how cigarettes were advertised and sold, including where products were placed, what kinds of ads were used, and whether single cigarettes or flavored cigarettes were available. The data were analyzed to compare marketing tactics across countries.
Simply put: The researchers checked stores near schools in many countries to see how cigarettes were being advertised and sold to kids.
Findings
The research demonstrates that four main tactics were used by tobacco companies at points-of-sale near schools and playgrounds in almost every country studied: placing cigarettes near snacks and sugary drinks, putting cigarette ads at children's eye level, promoting flavored cigarettes, and selling single cigarette sticks. These strategies make cigarettes more visible and appealing to children and youth. The study reveals that these tactics are widespread, often violate existing laws, and exploit loopholes in tobacco control policies. The authors recommend that governments adopt and enforce comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship at points-of-sale, ban the sale of single cigarettes, and regulate flavors, as outlined in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to better protect young people from tobacco marketing.
Simply put: The study found that tobacco companies use the same tricks in many countries to get kids' attention, and stronger rules are needed to stop this.
Abstract
Most of the published literature on cigarette advertising and promotion at points-of-sale is on research conducted in high-income countries. We report findings from monitoring cigarette advertising and promotion at points-of-sale near schools and playgrounds in 42 countries, the majority low-income and middle-income. Four strategies were detected across most of these countries: (1) display of cigarettes near snacks, sweets and sugary drinks, (2) placement of cigarette advertisements near the eye-level of children, (3) advertisements and display of flavoured cigarettes and (4) sale of single sticks of cigarettes. These advertising and promotional tactics target children and youth and demonstrate that multinational tobacco companies use similar strategies to promote cigarettes at points-of-sale. The widespread violations of existing laws and regulations, the exploitation of regulatory loopholes and lack of existing tobacco control policies that apply to points-of-sale call for adoption and enactment of provisions recommended by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control such as comprehensive bans on tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship, bans on sale of single cigarette sticks and regulation of flavours. These strategies will help to protect children and youth from exposure to tobacco advertising.
Ya agree. On that note, found this article which documents how tobacco companies targeted children:
This is obviously for traditional cigarettes, but reasonable to draw the parallels.