Tobacco Marketing - Where There's Smoke, There's Deception

This article discusses tobacco marketing and strategies being implemented by governments to place controls on the industry's marketing campaigns. According to the article governments such as Canada, The European Union and Brazil are taking steps to ban the use of terms such as "light" and "mild" for cigarettes. The article explains that the tobacco industry sells dreams "designed to lure individuals to a product that is addictive. Once consumers are addicted to tobacco, the industry has a guaranteed customer." The article criticises an Egyptian marketing campaign that encourages people to enter a contest to win a trip, by attaching proof of purchase of five packages of cigarettes. In the same country, "a campaign by Philip Morris Tobacco Company, ostensibly aimed at limiting youth smoking, distributes posters that state: " Less than 18 - it’s not acceptable!" "Over 18 - it’s your responsibility!" What teen wants to wait until they are 18 years old to make his or her own choices?"

Continuing with the example of Egypt, the author explains that while tobacco advertising is banned on radio and television, there is no restriction on the distribution of free products or samples, or on sales to minors. Promotion through contests and tobacco advertisements in magazines encourage men to continue smoking and entice women to contemplate more feminine forms of tobacco use. According to the author, when there is ban only on media advertising, "the tobacco industry simply pours its energies (and its considerable financial resources) into other forms of promotion - sponsorship of sports events and beauty contests, promoting rock concerts or discos, distribution of free samples, placing their logos on t-shirts, backpacks and other items popular with children, sponsoring adventure contests such as the Egyptian one described above. In recent years the tobacco industry has avoided advertising bans in some countries by placing covert ads on the Internet. As well as making cigarettes easily available to underage, youth company websites promote dance parties to lure people to venues where free cigarettes and other tobacco marketing activities take place."

The article concludes by stating that "the suggestion that a "light" or "mild" cigarette may reduce health risks associated with smoking is deceptive... Canadians should applaud their government’s courage opposing this false advertising. They should also support global action to ensure that men, women, and children in other countries are not duped by these misleading descriptors. This includes continuing support for the leadership role played by the Canadian delegation in the development of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control - to ensure consistent controls on tobacco advertising worldwide - as well as the implementation of strong public education campaigns both at home and abroad to demystify advertising jargon and provide accurate information."