1. The tobacco industry spends billions of dollars each year spreading its marketing net as widely as possible to attract young customers, targeting youth in fun and familiar environments, at the movies, on the Internet, in fashion magazines, and at music concerts and sports events.
2. The tobacco industry uses increasingly creative tactics to boost the sale of its products. Adverts on billboards, in magazines and on the Internet, comprise only one strand of the complex tobacco marketing net. The industry also ensures its products are highly visible in movies, on television and in the world of fashion. Tobacco companies sponsor sports and entertainment events, hand out branded items and organize numerous popular promotional activities in an attempt to win and keep their customers.
3. Only total bans can break the tobacco marketing net. The industry has numerous ways of targeting youth and partial bans merely allow companies to shift their vast resources from one promotional tactic to another.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Why are tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship a threat to young people?
The more exposed to tobacco advertising young people are, the more likely they are to use tobacco. The tobacco industry falsely associates use of its products with desirable qualities such as glamour, energy and sex appeal as well as with exciting activities and adventure.
Widespread tobacco advertising “normalizes” tobacco use, portraying it as being no different from any other consumer product, and making it difficult for young people to understand the hazards of its use.
Young people underestimate the risk of becoming addicted to nicotine and the tragic health consequences that can follow.
Widespread tobacco advertising “normalizes” tobacco use, portraying it as being no different from any other consumer product, and making it difficult for young people to understand the hazards of its use.
Young people underestimate the risk of becoming addicted to nicotine and the tragic health consequences that can follow.
The Campaign
Globally, most people start smoking before the age of 18, with almost a quarter of those beginning before the age of 10. The younger children are when they first try smoking, the more likely they are to become regular tobacco users and the less likely they are to quit.
A strong link between advertising and smoking in young people has been proven. The more aware and appreciative young people are of tobacco advertising, the more likely they are to smoke or say they intend to. As a result, the tobacco industry spends billions of dollars worldwide each year spreading its marketing net as widely as possible to attract young customers. Tobacco companies market their products wherever youth can be easily accessed - in the movies, on the Internet,
in fashion magazines, and at music concerts and sports events.
A strong link between advertising and smoking in young people has been proven. The more aware and appreciative young people are of tobacco advertising, the more likely they are to smoke or say they intend to. As a result, the tobacco industry spends billions of dollars worldwide each year spreading its marketing net as widely as possible to attract young customers. Tobacco companies market their products wherever youth can be easily accessed - in the movies, on the Internet,
in fashion magazines, and at music concerts and sports events.
WHO named as one of five partners to implement Michael Bloomberg's $125 million initiative to promote freedom from smoking
GENEVA -- In August, Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City, announced his commitment to donate US$125 million towards an initiative to end the global tobacco epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) is pleased to be one of the five key partners in the initiative and looks forward to working closely with the other partners.
:: Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI)
This initiative presents an opportunity to immediately scale up tobacco control efforts in developing countries where the health burden is the highest. Working with other project partners, WHO (through its Tobacco Free Initiative) will play an important leadership role in strengthening tobacco control systems by working to ensure that country level interventions are effective and in line with best evidence and policies.
Specifically, WHO will expand the public-sector support and guidance it already provides to help governments around the world develop national tobacco control plans, pass and enforce key laws and implement effective policies and tobacco control measures. Those measures include tobacco tax increases, advertising bans, mandatory health warning labels and smoking bans, as set out in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the key international treaty on tobacco control.
WHO will continue to lead the development and setting of international standards on tobacco control, working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation on global surveillance of tobacco use. At the same time, WHO will work with the World Lung Foundation to advance ongoing monitoring activities that measure how effectively tobacco control policies are implemented at the country level.
Mr Bloomberg's generous donation injects valuable momentum into our shared effort to reduce the global burden of disease and death caused by tobacco. WHO welcomes the opportunity to be part of this initiative and looks forward to working with the other project partners.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is one of the most widely endorsed treaties in UN history, with 140 Parties.
Note to Editors
In addition to the WHO, other partner organizations in the initiative include the Campaign for Tobacco Free-Kids, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the World Lung Foundation.
For more information, please contact:
Marta Seoane
Communications Officer
Tobacco Free Initiative, WHO
Telephone: +41 79 791 2489
Mobile: +41 79 475 5551
E-mail: seoanem@who.int
:: Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI)
This initiative presents an opportunity to immediately scale up tobacco control efforts in developing countries where the health burden is the highest. Working with other project partners, WHO (through its Tobacco Free Initiative) will play an important leadership role in strengthening tobacco control systems by working to ensure that country level interventions are effective and in line with best evidence and policies.
Specifically, WHO will expand the public-sector support and guidance it already provides to help governments around the world develop national tobacco control plans, pass and enforce key laws and implement effective policies and tobacco control measures. Those measures include tobacco tax increases, advertising bans, mandatory health warning labels and smoking bans, as set out in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the key international treaty on tobacco control.
WHO will continue to lead the development and setting of international standards on tobacco control, working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation on global surveillance of tobacco use. At the same time, WHO will work with the World Lung Foundation to advance ongoing monitoring activities that measure how effectively tobacco control policies are implemented at the country level.
Mr Bloomberg's generous donation injects valuable momentum into our shared effort to reduce the global burden of disease and death caused by tobacco. WHO welcomes the opportunity to be part of this initiative and looks forward to working with the other project partners.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is one of the most widely endorsed treaties in UN history, with 140 Parties.
Note to Editors
In addition to the WHO, other partner organizations in the initiative include the Campaign for Tobacco Free-Kids, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the World Lung Foundation.
For more information, please contact:
Marta Seoane
Communications Officer
Tobacco Free Initiative, WHO
Telephone: +41 79 791 2489
Mobile: +41 79 475 5551
E-mail: seoanem@who.int
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