Why Do Cigarette Companies Prevent Underage Smoking?

Tobacco companies advertise in magazines, promote their products in convenience stores and market their brands through websites and social networks. Many of these tobacco industries get publicity and attract more young customers when using the newly in media to promote their products. Many of these tobacco companies don’t understand that tobacco advertising is a huge public health issue that increases smoking. Tobacco company advertising and promoting is the start of the use of tobacco among teenagers. Now, these media and magazine advertisements about cigars have caused teenagers to be exposed to cigarette advertising. Not only that but also these teenagers find ads appealing and also increase their desire to smoke. Cigarette companies spent about $8.37 billion on advertising and promotional expenses in the United States in 2011.

In fact, the tobacco industry has suffered ever since antismoking advertising has begun (Johnston, p. 107). According to statistics, 4 in every 10 Americans who are in 12th grade have tried cigarettes, and 1 in 10 consider themselves current smokers. As well as, 1 in 5, 8th graders have tried cigarettes, and 1 in 16 consider themselves current smokers (Johnston, p. 107). Now that society is aware of the harms of tobacco, it is important to decrease such rates of smoking amongst youth. Not only are there commercials about the risks of cigarette smoking, but also there are commercials that promote living above the influence of all drugs, including alcohol and marijuana. Lastly, as research continues to improve, and new drugs arise it is important to keep youth educated on the risks of using such drugs. It is important to keep our youth safe from the dangers of

In 2014, 24.6% of high school students reported that they used some type of tobacco product in the past 30 days (‘National Youth Tobacco Survey’). There are several factors that influence youth to begin using tobacco. Although it is clear that peer pressure can initiate smoking, multiple studies find that tobacco marketing causes an increase in youth tobacco use.

According to ScienceDaily, Anti-Smoking campaigns aimed towards kids are most effective when convincing youth that their friends are listening to the ads (1) . While outdated and ineffective ads focus on telling individuals to avoid tobacco or die horribly, Hye-Jin Paek, assistant professor at UGA College of Journalism and Mass Communication, says new advertisements across the world focus on changing the social norms surrounded by smoking. Instead of an ad saying “every cigarette you smoke takes nine minutes off your life,” these billboards could read “over 66% of Kentucky's high school students are smoke free.” This is a great example of a shifting focus from health risks associated with tobacco to how a young adult's peers feel about tobacco. A social standard is set for high school students when ads clearly state that the vast majority of teens aren't smoking.

A major issue today in tobacco advertisement is the controversy over ads targeting children and teenagers. The two companies under the most fire for their advertisements are Marlboro and Camel. Marlboro uses a fictional “Marlboro Man,” while Camel uses a high rolling and sophisticated cartoon character, Joe Camel. Camel has been attacked by several Tobacco-free organizations as a major influence on children. Dr. Lonnia Bristow of the American Medical Association remarks, “To children, cartoon characters mean that the product is harmless, but cigarettes are not harmless. They have to know that their ads are influencing children under ten to begin smoking, but choose not to stop creating them” (Thomas). Researchers have conducted studies that show six year olds recognize Joe Camel as well as they recognize Mickey Mouse. Every industry denies that their advertising goal targets people under twenty-one, and they claim their goal is to simply promote brand switching and brand loyalty (Breo). Jeff Pearlman sums up the attitude of the tobacco and advertising industries by saying, “Is the use of a cartoon character in an ad proof that you are ‘targeting children‘? If so, what about the Pink Panther selling insulation or Snoopy promoting insurance?” (Bill Clinton...).

     Should tobacco advertising be restricted? This is a very controversial issue. There is the idea that young children that smoke started smoking because of advertisements, but there is also the idea that children start smoking for other reasons. Many big, well-known tobacco companies like RJ Reynolds are being sued for their advertisements. On Monday April 20th, 1998 the jury heard a testimony from Lynn Beasly, the marketing vice president of the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company. The courts believed that the advertisement was directed towards children under the age of 18, due to a document from the RJ Reynolds Board of Directors showing that they set a goal to increase the company's market share among 14

Teens smoking has been a public concern for centuries. In a recent article published earlier this year by Fox News, highlighted the rate and risk of teens smoking and the rise of e-cigarettes. One of the main question posed was, why do teens smoke? There is no definite answer,however; a few intelligible explanation has been given. Biology and developmental vulnerability are the few partially reason given. Biology studies shows that, until in their 20s and adolescents Brain is not equate enough to measure and assess assess race and long-term consequences.one reason is that teen are very vulnerable,which makes them an ideal target for cigarrette companies. luckly the federal government has set strict rules that limit tobacco companies who sets

Dominique focused reasons why teenagers smoke such as peer pressure, availability, lack of thought, family issues, and stress-reliever.

Young adults pose a constant challenge in efforts to fight against tobacco use. Their vulnerability to smoking influence rises as they leave home, join college or enter the workforce a peer and life pressures increase.

Tobacco use by teens has been a problem in America for over 50 years, yet there are teens smoking today. At least 30 percent of adolescents use some form of tobacco. In fact, statistics reveal that the average age for first using tobacco is 13. Despite the incessant advertising and education on the dangers of tobacco use, teens still continue to smoke. So why to teens continue to smoke? Mainly because most of them do not know what long-term health issues it can cause.

In reading this article the focus is on the danger of smoking and how it is directly related to preventable diseases such as heart and lung diseases. Smoking has always been proven to be troublesome when it comes to both first and second hand smoking. Both can affect you gravely as well as affect those around you equally. When it comes to adolescence teenage boys are more prone to smoke due to feeling pressured by their peers. When it comes to evaluating what public issues are most common amongst teenagers in school smoking is the number one culprit.

Teenage smoking can be a result of the influence of other teens, or maybe the amount of peer pressure. This can cause a teen to want to smoke or even think about smoking (Alcid, Arthur, page 1). Statistics show that 794 student and 22.4 percent of teens claimed to be tobacco users. (Alcid, Arthur, page 1). Teens tend to be more abrasive when smoking, and seem to act different while smoking and once they have gotten into the habit of smoking make it a constant thing. In 2003, 21.9 percent of high school students currently smoke cigarettes (Alcid, Arthur, page 1).

They'll even recite the statistics to you: Smoking kills over 1,000 people a day in this country alone, and is far deadlier, in terms of mortality rates, than any hard drug. And then they'll blow their smoke into your face.      The only way to get any leverage with teenagers is to return fire with fire, taking on the various influences that make smoking seem attractive. We need, in other words, to find new ways to make smoking look ridiculous.      John F. Banzhaf III had no particular animosity toward the cigarette companies when he sat down in his Bronx home on Thanksgiving Day 1966 to watch a football game with his father.

One of the largest issues today is adolescent smoking. According to a heath based website, nearly 90% of adult smokers start while they are still teens and they never intend to get hooked. They may start by bumming a cigarette or two from a friend at a party, and then go on to buying an occasional pack. Soon they realize that they can't go without that pack. They've gotten used to reaching for a cigarette first thing in the morning, after meals, or during any stressful time. They become addicted, both physically and psychologically. According to the American Lung Association, each day 6,000 children under the age of 18 smoke their first cigarette. Almost 2,000 of them will become regular smokers – that’s 757, 000 new smokers annually!

Tobacco; one of the most profitable products in history, an addictive substance, and a deadly killer. Smoking tobacco used to be a thing that was endorsed in American society. Now, with the new medical advances and knowledge, society has seen the side effects of smoking and how fatal it actually is. Teenagers have been one of the largest age groups that have been affected by smoking. After analyzing all possible reasons as to why teenagers would smoke while knowing it can affect their health, three possible reasons stuck out the most. Teenagers smoke despite knowing the health problems that originate from smoking because of peer pressure, an “invincibility” mentality, and seeing a role model or family member smoke.