Tobacco advertising and promotion increases adolescent smoking
Tobacco advertising and promotion increases adolescent smoking
A new systematic review of 19 longitudinal studies by the Cochrane Collaboration concludes that exposure to tobacco advertising and promotion increases the likelihood that adolescents will start to smoke.
Tobacco is responsible for close to 5 million deaths per year and is one of the most modifiable and important risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Although the tobacco industry denies that it targets young people with its marketing schemes, a new review of primary research shows the effect that marketing truly has on an adolescent's inclination to smoke.
The review analyzed 19 longitudinal studies that examined the relationship between adolescent smoking and advertising. The 19 studies tracked a total of 29,000 adolescents aged 18 or younger over time. In 18 of the 19 studies, nonsmoking adolescents who were more aware of tobacco advertising or receptive to tobacco advertising were more likely to have experimented with cigarettes or become smokers at follow up.
Key Messages
- Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship increase the likelihood that young people will start to smoke.
- To prevent youth from starting to smoke, countries should impose comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Additional Resources:
Fact sheets and reports on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship [Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish], provided by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
Access to the article abstract > [English only]
More information on the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids >
More information on the Cochrane Collaboration >
More about tobacco control >
Full Citation: Lovato C, Watts A, Stead LF. Impact of tobacco advertising and promotion on increasing adolescent smoking behaviours (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2011;(10):1-45.