Why does the tobacco industry need to catch teenagers and young adults?
* For the tobacco industry to survive it must hook new customers to replace those who die or quit. It must catch them young.
* Most people start smoking before the age of 18, and almost a quarter of these individuals begin using tobacco 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.
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.
Why do we need a total ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship?
* 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.
* 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.