EU ban on Tobacco advertising - Essay Example

Topic EU Ban on Tobacco advertising A form of communication which is helpful in selling products and services of companies is known as advertising. Generally, it tells the audience about the message in a way that they remember the name of the product and service plus how that product or service is beneficial for the consumer. It helps move products and keeps businesses progressing. Every time an ad arouses consumer interest, it results in a purchase, thus securing the jobs of many. It helps create competition. The advertising of tobacco products, mostly cigarette smoking by the tobacco industry through a various forms of media including television, newspaper, magazine, direct mail, sale points, billboards, radio and sponsorship is called tobacco advertising. As part of their marketing strategy, tobacco companies use the help of advertisements and promotional schemes to boost sales and earn higher profits. On 7 December 1941 serious restrictions was imposed upon the advertisements of tobbaco. Opposition is against the advertisements trying to portray smoking as safe or as a representation of masculinity. They do not do any good except for giving misleading claims and leaving a bad impact on the young and pure minds of teenagers and youth. Pasting advertising posters and brochures along racing tracks, stadiums and rail tracks was outlawed as it give a vast exposure of this unhealthy product. Cooperation and support of anti-tobacco activists and NGO workers was highly encouraged. Advertising done through loudspeakers in stadiums during games and mail (postage stamps) was also banned. Companies use such advertising to create brand loyalty and brand image to consumers so that they choose their brand of cigarette amongst others available. Tobacco companies apportion principally large budgets for their advertising campaigns and strategies also to seek quick responses and to stimulate demand over a longer period of time. The Federal Trade Commission claimed that cigarette manufacturers spent $8.24 billion on advertising and publicity in 1999 which was the highest amount ever at that time. Later in 2005, the amount rose to $13.11. The increase, despite restrictions on the advertising in most countries, was an effort to target younger audiences mostly teenagers who get influenced easily by promotional offers and giveaways such as Zippos, ashtrays and lighters. Casey Stoner: Australia's new Marlboro Man He has become a role model to kids worldwide who see him (Sydney Telegraph picture) racing in his bike, his whole outlook endorsing a tobacco brand Tobacco companies bribe and give expensive prizes to retailers who stock cigarettes and cigars. The European Union have precised that the advertising of tobacco should not be allowed. The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states, located in Europe that have agreed to act collectively on a standardised system of laws and a wide range of issues rather than nationally. Certain legal requirements are enforced upon the packaging of tobacco cigarettes by some countries. For example in the countries of the European Union, cigarette packs must have a label notifying the health hazards associated with smoking. One of the ways was inserting cards into the packet of cigarette giving an illustration of how to quit smoking. An example of tobacco packaging carrying health warnings is shown below: For the benefit of peoples of EU, the Commission is stressing theentry into force of the EU tobacco advertising ban and to start its action, initiated three years ago. The EU directive of 2003 has a wide ban on tobacco advertising in all forms of the print media, on radio and over the more technologically advanced medium, the internet. It also prohibits tobacco sponsorship of cross-border cultural and sporting events notably Formula One racing and the European Football Championships. Most EU countries, except for Germany,have either passed the necessary laws or are in the course of passing them soon enough.The Commission's act of highlighting of the ban seems like to be part of a new EU communication strategy toshowthe positive results of year-long legislative EU processesthat have a popular impact. The long historical association of tobacco sponsorship with Formula One has ended owing to the direct result of the EU Tobacco Advertising ban. Let's take a recent example; no tobacco sponsorship was visible in the Formula One Grand Prix races that took place in the year 2008. Commissioner Vassiliou has made it clear to the organisers and participants of Formula One to ensure that no tobacco advertising will be present in the races in the years to come. Nothing can defy that tobacco primarily remains the largest single cause of premature deaths and diseases in the European Union. It causes more than 660,000 deaths within the EU each year which is very disturbing. They can avoid these deaths by controlling the sale and usage of tobacco products. Over the last 20 years, the European Community has pursued a comprehensive tobacco control policy aiming at fighting against tobacco consumption in order to curtail this major epidemic from spreading any further. The idea is to maintain and strengthen tobacco control policy efforts though a variety of mechanisms, activities and programmes including tobacco control legislation and prevention and termination movements. Advertising for tobacco products should be banned for the following reasons. First and foremost being that tobacco is solely responsible for 548,000 deaths in the European Union each year. It is a proven fact that more people die through smoking than car accidents, alcohol, illegal drugs, aids, crime and suicides combined. Advertising persuades people to an extent that they get influenced by that particular product and in this case it is tobacco. It is exploitative, creates unreal images and proposes perfect settings exaggerating the truth which is why the onlooker may not choose rationally. It exploits children and teenagers at a tender age, taking advantage of their innocence which may not be in their greatest interest. Tobacco is advertised in order to increase its demand and apparently stimulate consumption thus increasing the companies' profits. It is argued that why not ban tobacco instead of its advertising Tobacco becomes powerfully addictive because it contains nicotine which works both as a stimulant and a tranquilizer. Tobacco smokers eventually create more dependent and unproductive population. When smokers become addicted they lose their control on the ability to choose not to smoke. Cigarettes contain cancer causing chemicals such as tar (used in making roads) and cadmium (used in the making of batteries) which blocks the throat lining and carries the nicotine to the blood and lungs. The bad effect of nicotine will last for ten years, whereas its good effect will last for hardly half an hour. It is a great source of asthma, cancer, infertility and other cardiovascular diseases. If tobacco were to be introduced on to the market now at this point of time, it would surely be banned but it has existed in Europe for more than 500 years and the widespread and addictive power of cigarette smoking makes it impossible to ban the product. It has a very strong hold on the market. The marketing of certain types of tobacco for oral use has been prohibited by Directive 92/41/CEE in the European Community since July 1992. This prohibition was only possible as the use of this type of product was still not so common in the Community. Tobacco is a legal product, its manufacturers oppose that EU should not ban its advertising. There can be little doubt that if tobacco was to be discovered today; its production and sale would be against the law. Thus its legality is a product of history and not a good reason for its promotion or advertising. There are many potentially dangerous products (e.g. arms and ammunition, fireworks or pharmaceutical products) that remain on the market regardless of the restrictions on their promotion. According to Council Directive 92/28/EEC it is for example forbidden to advertise to the general public medicinal products in the European Union which are only strictly available on medical prescription given by doctors and cannot be purchased without authentication. Now the point is whether tobacco advertising ban is effective in reducing consumption or is it just a waste of resources Of course the aim of advertising is to draw attention for the purpose of selling a product. This goal is achieved by persuading, informing and reminding which helps in increasing the total demand of the product. The UK Department of Health in 2003 surveyed whether tobacco advertising affects the total demand for tobacco products. Four countries were chosen, as these countries introduced an advertising ban and enforced it completely. The main conclusion of this report came out that current evidence available indicates a significant effect. In each case the banning of advertising was followed by a fall in smoking other price and non-price factors remaining the same. The table below will create a better understanding. Country Date of ban Drop in consumption until 2003 Norway 1st July 1990 - 26 % Finland 1st March 1990 - 37 % New Zealand 17th December 1997 - 21 % France 1st January 1997 - 14 % Smoking prevalence among young people decreased, as it can be seen. The conclusion of the UICC is that advertising bans do not fail to work if they are properly implemented or enforced as part of a complete tobacco control policy. The tobacco industry engages in sponsorship in sporting events not for charitable reasons, but to encourage and persuade smoking. As one RJ Reynolds Executive said, "We're in the sports business. We use sports as an avenue for advertising our products". A survey, reported in the Lancet of 15 November 1997, revealed that boys who voted motor racing as their favourite television sport were more likely than others to be able to know the names of the leading tobacco sponsors because they obviously watch it more. Disturbingly, if they were not regular smokers then, nearly twice as many became addicted to it than the ones who did not watch motor racing on television in near future. A widespread ban on tobacco advertising in Formula One grand prix racing has forced many sponsors to use other media for presenting their cigarette advertising. In some countries the Advertising Standards acts to ensure that advertisements are 'legal, decent, and honest'. It can put pressure on advertisers to withdraw or change campaigns that do not meet these standards. According to a report, published in The Journal of Consumer Affairs of winter 1997, there are quite a lot of reasons why allowing sponsorship by tobacco companies undermines attempts to limit tobacco consumption. Sports sponsorship reaches the youth market very successfully which is also their target group of audience. Sponsorship functions like good advertising. Sponsorship associates smoking with healthy, popular activities and images. The international nature of sponsored events may allow exemption from national sponsorship bans. In contradiction to this various anti-smoking groups, particularly cancer charities, along with many government health departments and also NGO's have attempted to counteract the advertising of tobacco by creating their own advertisements showing the negative and injurious effects of smoking. The first few attempts mainly focused on aiding smoking cessation and termination, the obvious increased risk of lung cancer and the problems associated with passive or second-hand smoking which is equally harmful as it is the smoke u breath from other smokers. Though, they have become increasingly effective over the years, with some campaigns now centred on decreased physical attractiveness and charm and the risk of erectile dysfunction. The British government spent 31 million in 2003 on their anti-smoking campaign which is commendable and should definitely increase over the years for the health of their nation. The European Union launched the "For a life without tobacco" campaign in 2005 in all its member countries to help people stop smoking altogether. References Wright. R. (2000) Advertising. Edition: first published in 2000 by Pearson Education. PETO R, LOPEZ A D et al, Update to 1995 of analyses of mortality from smoking in 15 European Union countries, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Stimson. P. (2002) Business Studies. First published in 2002. Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge. "How Marketers Target Kids". Media-awareness.ca. 13 Feb 2009. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/marketing/marketers_target_kids.cfm. Retrieved 20 April 2009. www.tobacco.health.usyd.edu.au- last updated on 14 Dec 2005. Simon Chapman. Accessed the site on 7 Sep 2009. Read More