Marketing to Youth

Children are the most impressionable members of society, and they are twice as sensitive to tobacco marketing as adults. In fact, 1/3 of underage smoking experimentation is attributable to tobacco advertising.

Tobacco ads suggest that smoking can fulfill powerful psychological needs like popularity, peer acceptance and a positive self-image. The tobacco industry knows that kids are too young to understand the consequences of smoking and addiction.

The tobacco industry recruits 1,600 youth to try smoking every day.
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Tobacco sales generate nearly $1.2 billion per year from cigarettes consumed by kids.
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For decades, tobacco companies have aggressively promoted their products using tactics that appeal to children. Here are just a few of their dirty tricks:

  • Sponsoring up-and-coming artists that appeal to younger people
  • Offering free music downloads and pop-up concerts in convenience stores
  • Using popular hashtags to be part of social media conversations
  • Making products that look and taste like candy
  • Placing ads and products in stores at the direct eye level of children
  • Placing products in movies and video games

Today, 4 out of 5 youth smokers will become adult smokers. It’s a number that Big Tobacco counts on to keep making profit. Since half of all adult smokers will die from smoking, tobacco companies must have a constant stream of new recruits to stay profitable.

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DID YOU KNOW
5.6M children alive today will ultimately die early from smoking. That’s equal to 1 child out of every 13 in the U.S. today.
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Click here to learn about the newest frontier in addicting youth — e-cigarettes, vaping and JUULing.

Fight back. Talk to your kids about the dangers of tobacco. Click here for tips on how to get the conversation started.

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