How Tobacco Companies Target Teens - Research Paper Example

How Tobacco Companies are Targeting Teens This research paper will look on the increase number of consumption of tobacco products by the teens, which many intention-marketing promotions are directed towards the teens by the tobacco marketers. The paper will also feature on the marketing strategies used by the campaigners to the teens. On the other hand, it will assess any changes for the future and investigate specific necessitates for an upcoming research. According to Pampel (11), the United States cigarettes manufacturers in nineteen ninety, did spend a sum of $4 million on advertising and promoting cigarettes. Almost thirty six percent of smokers are foreseen of dying due to smoking. This will result in losing two decades of dynamic life. Many big tobacco corporations are spending almost $10.5 billion every year as a way of promoting their brands and a large percentage of their efforts in marketing reach the teenagers directly. Reports issued showed that a fifty-two percent increase on market spending by the tobacco industry was viewed in 1998-2008 (Pampel, 11). According to the report, the expenditures in marketing reduced from “$12.5 billion to $9.9 billion in 2006-2008” (Pampel, 12). Marketing on the tobacco that is smokeless has increased from 2005. Various documents in the tobacco industry, exposed in the lawsuits of tobacco, reveal that the company’s manufacturing tobacco products have identified teenagers as their main market, conducted the habits used by the teenagers in smoking and created products or brands and developed marketing strategies aimed at the teenagers. How are these tobacco companies are targeting teenagers? I would like to start by explaining that large populations of teens in the United States prefer using camel, Newport and Marlboro brands of tobacco. These companies aim the teenagers by using images. The teenagers think that these marketing strategies used will make them be sexy, cool, rugged or allured. These companies manufacturing tobacco products use the images and associate the images with smoking. The teenagers are on the other hand convinced that smoking will make them be popular, seem as mature people, considered as cool people or fit in a certain category of people (Pampel, 13). Tobacco companies have continued to market their products to vulnerable underage groups despite claims that their advertisements no longer target kids intentionally. It is argued that the younger generation is targeted mostly as they form future customers (Warner. 1211-1213). These companies knowingly place advertisements on popular magazines with an aim of reaching as many young people as possible. It is also sad to note that direct mails are sent to young people without having their ages verified. Research shows that advertisement expenditures for tobacco products have increased by 52% from the year 1998 to 2008 (Anderson, 21). These expensive ventures are only aimed at attracting new smokers who are at the moment still kids. How are Magazines used in targeting teenagers? I assert that the tobacco companies mainly use magazines and movies in advertising of their products so that they can reach the group the company wants. In the year 2001, various magazines nationally in the United States were accepting advertisements of tobacco products. Examples of these magazines are Sporting News, TV Guide, People, Rolling Stone and Time among others. $59.6 million dollars was spent by the tobacco industry as expenditures in advertising of their brands in teens based magazines (Pampel, 14). In the magazines advertisements, creations of images for the teenagers are implanted in a way the images may give the teens a false view on smoking and destruct their thoughts. As the teenagers are depicted by these advertisements, they come to know what smoking is all about and this makes them to begin smoking in order to accomplish the images they see in the advertisements. By comparing advertisements of alcohol and tobacco, the uniformities are in a certain way people want to categorize their selves and the picture they want to show to the public in general. How are Movies used in targeting teenagers? My personal opinion is that in the past and current years, movies have used smoking as an essential part. On the other hand, scenes of sex, dating movies, military course and movies that have actions all show smoking. In movies, main actors mostly use the sign of smoking cigarettes as a sign of toughness, strength and power possessed by the actor. How are these movies mainly affecting the teens? I would like to point out that recent surveys have indicated that teens would start smoking cigarettes if they see their actors smoking. The images that are used in a movie make a teenager feel like smoking is the best thing to participate into. When the use of tobacco is viewed as a normal act, it will make many teens to think that smoking is acknowledgeable (News medical, 1). What types of Advanced Strategies are used in Targeting teenagers? I do believe that the tobacco companies also provided free gifts with a purchase of tobacco, gave out discounts and merchandises. This increased the usage of tobacco by teenagers. Putting tobacco products on the display racks in retail outlets has also led to the teens using the product. In my identification, a survey conducted in California in 2008 showed that advertisements of cigarettes in store rose between twenty two to twenty four advertisements in every retail store in 2002-2005.The companies that manufacture tobacco products mainly target locations that offer retail services to the teenagers. These places may be situated near or around the schools. By increasing promotions in retail places and reducing health precautions sponsored by the government, teenagers will drug themselves into smoking (Schneider, 109). How are tobacco messages affecting the teens? My personal account is that the messages used in marketing tobacco are exposing the teenagers in widely using the cigarettes and tobacco products. While a large number of the teen population is been exposed by tobacco marketing companies, the teenagers do not know the consequences to follow by using these tobacco products. In one case examined by great researchers, alcohol and tobacco consumption are the drugs mainly used by the American teens (Schneider, 112). In addition, the teenagers lose their lives in car accidents due to excessive consumption of the two drugs named above. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accrued that the radio marketers in the United States place approximately forty eight percent of alcohol and tobacco advertisements in their adverts, which targeted a large teenage audience. Do teens realize if there are health issues in smoking? I think that the teens do not realize health issues brought by indulging themselves in smoking. The minister of public health in the United Kingdom says that the teens do not also recognize smoking effects when one is pregnant as it can lead to birth of low weight babies. Despite of the tobacco companies such as R.J. Reynolds had been accused of marketing their products to the teenagers, other companies are still finding their ways in marketing tobacco making the youths to be their targets (Partnership for a Tobacco-Free Maine, 1).. The R.J. Reynolds Company through their representative McConnell says that they can continue to sell the cigarettes that are flavored in the future despite the company agreeing not to sell cigarettes that are flavored. According to many tobacco companies in the United States, they are denying that their marketing strategies are mainly targeting the teens. How do teens get this information on smoking? I believe that the teenagers are still been reached by these marketing strategies such as advertisements. Teenagers recall viewing advertising on tobacco products mostly than adults thus making them prone to smoking as they would like to experience what is been advertised. On the other hand, teens viewing advertisements and trying out to smoke may turn out from trying to be smokers that are established (Schneider, 120). In addition, Journal of the American Medical Association states that the tobacco companies had introduced brands such as Virginia slims in the nineteen sixties that were meant for the female population. This led to an increase in smoking of girls in the age of twelve years. How are tobacco companies defending themselves? I have to state that the companies are defending their programs by saying that teens are not supposed to use any tobacco product and it is a serious case for a teenager to take tobacco. They continue by saying that a significant endeavor has been done by the companies in marketing and retailing, to link themselves only to the smokers who are adults. Many companies in the United States that make cigarettes have teen products that are leading. Industry articles accrue that tobacco manufacturers say that if there are no teenager brands that are leading, the tobacco companies are in great problems (Reinberg, 1). A report issued by Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in February 13 says that seventy eight percent of students in the middle school and eighty seven percent of students in high school prefer to use the three brands of tobacco. There were also differences in the products girls and boys preferred, and whites and blacks. Is there any Importance of teens in the tobacco industry, teen’s profits and attentions marketers’ used in catching teenagers? I would like to bring to your attention that a new report released says that a menthol cigarette mainly marketed to the black populations was one of the brands preferred by sixty percent of black students in the middle school and seventy-nine percent of black students in the high school. Another report by the United States Cancer Institute says that enough evidence is available to show that advertising of tobacco leads smoking by the teenagers (Partnership for a Tobacco-Free Maine, 1). They continue to say that the internet mainly gives out information on tobacco advertisements and bans to those advertising are unsuccessful. In the year 2007, a report issued by Institute of Medicine labeled for tough measures in controlling advertising of tobacco. A comprehensive ban on advertising of tobacco had been called for by the World Health Organization Framework Convention concerning the control of tobacco. Pechacek says that in 1997, smoking by the teenagers had declined. The decline stopped in 2007 as the teens increased their smoking rates. Which Types of Cigarettes are used in targeting Teenagers? I believe that one of the ways the marketing promotions have targeted the teenagers is by comparing tobacco manufactured goods with candies and blending tobacco tastes with flavors of sweets. Cigarettes blended with candies were manufactured by the help of manufacturers of cigarettes who permitted obvious copyright violations in duration of thirty years. Teenagers became recognizable with the candy cigarette and its packaging styles. This increased smoking habits. After a great fight and attacks to the companies by activists, these companies distanced their selves from the candy groups. Nowadays, these cigarettes blended with candy are referred to as candy “stix” but also have a red ending the same as a lit cigarette. In addition, they use identical colors like the different cigarette brands. Many people who are currently smoking and who quit smoking had used these candy products when they were young. This survey shows how the teenagers are been targeted in using these products (Cadman, 1). How are flavored cigarettes affecting children? My personal account on this is that children are been desensitized by the candy cigarettes into smoking in the future. On the other hand, this enables the teens to respond and recognize the branding and marketing of the product. Despite using candies in the cigarette industry, the business associated their products through sweets. When these companies knew that cigarette tastes could be irritating to the people using it for the first time, a new brand of aroma cigarette was introduced in 1999 and resembled the candy cigarettes. The use of this brand became popular in 2004 when it was advertised in magazines that were teen based such as the Glamour and the Rolling Stone. A survey conducted by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute says that teenagers are the ones who are likely to smoke cigarettes that are flavored than the adults. Another survey conducted in 2007 by American Foundation asserts that forty percent of teenagers say that they knew flavored cigarettes from advertisements (News medical, 1). In detail, I would like to point out that half of the teens wanted to have a taste and sixty percent of the teenagers said that the flavored cigarettes would have better tastes than the other regular ones. The new flavors reduce or remove the insensitive tobacco taste and teenagers will easily join smoking and continue with the habit. Promoting these products by using good-looking women and hip-hop icons has led to the spread of the products to the teens. The products of tobacco are not regulated and more than five thousand children below eighteen years try to use it and over two thousand of them start to smoke on a daily basis. Researchers and surveyors in New York say that twenty percent of smokers between seventeen and nineteen years smoke flavored cigarettes in the last thirty days. This is a high percent comparing to six percent of smokers who are beyond twenty five years smoking in the last thirty days. The president of American Lung Association argues that the cigarette industry is making teenagers to be cigarettes addicts and no precaution is done in limiting the marketing strategies used. He continues to say that the tobacco companies are not apprehended in charge for the products they are selling and marketing to the teenagers. Even if the cigarettes are in candy or sweet flavors, they can lead to lung diseases (News medical, 2). Are these advertisements affecting the population? I think that a large population of people in the world realizes that smoking is not good for one’s health. Despite this knowledge, teenagers in the advertising of cigarettes are considered to be powerful peer groups. Teenagers do not become comfortable with their popularity and changes in appearances they have as they are growing. Advertisements of cigarettes give empty promises to some teenagers who are frustrated with their changes. They should be aware that smoking might lead to one having yellow teeth, bad breath, be a chain smoker and possibly separate them from their non-smoking friends (My Quit Smoking Diary, 1). The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that smokeless tobaccos mainly used by older men have now turned out to be used by the teenagers due to the different flavors incorporated. The Center stated that smokeless tobacco is been used by fifteen percent of the boys population in high schools. Even though RJ Reynolds stated that, the flavored cigarettes were substitutes for smokers who are adults, evidence available shows that teenagers are the most smokers of the cigarettes that have flavors than the smokers who are adults. The smokers who have been in the industry for a very long time are not likely to switch to flavored cigarettes. Currently, there is a bill that is pending in the United States congress for banning the retailing of cigarettes that are flavored. Are there Conclusions in Fighting the advertisements? In relation to such conclusions, I believe that lack of banning cigarette advertisements may lead to the teens using a lot of tobacco and affecting their health. This will lead to the world to have a few people who may become ethical leaders or lack these leaders at all. Efficient control strategies on tobacco should have contained counter advertising approaches made to challenge tobacco business messages. How are teenagers supposed to be educated? In my own opinion, the teens are supposed to be informed how marketers of tobacco have tried to take advantage of their pride in order cigarette sales may boost. Various groups have come out to target teenagers in non-smoking campaigns and advertisements, giving tobacco health warnings (Elders, 76). Increasing of taxes in the tobacco industry is another way of reducing tobacco users. All magazines and journals should be evaluated in order to see how they get in touch with the teenagers. What should the government do to protect teenagers from smoking? In my opinion, the government should eliminate vending piece of equipments for cigarettes in places where children may access it; this will help in reducing the usage of cigarettes. Another way the authorities may use in reducing teens cigarette usage is by prohibiting sale of the product behind the counters and sale of single cigarettes or small packets either via internet or via mail. Many people smoking nowadays say that the main course of teenagers smoking is due to peer pressure and not advertising of the product as it has little effect. In preventing these tobacco-marketing companies from targeting the teens, parents should educate their children on harmful effects of smoking, tell the children not to follow tobacco advertisements issued on the magazines or televisions. The parent should teach a child that one being healthy and maintaining his or her body acquires an affirmative self-image. In addition, the parent should act as a good model to his child by not abusing tobacco (Elders, 85). Works Cited Cadman, Brie. “How The Tobacco Industry Targets Teens.” Divine Caroline. Web. 6 April 2012 . Elders, Joycelyn. “Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon General”. Pennsylvania: DIANE publishing, 1997. Pp. 76-85. My Quit Smoking Diary. “How Tobacco Companies Target Teens.” Web. 6 April 2012 . News medical. “Tobacco Industry is continuing its targeted marketing to teens via Candy-flavored Cigarettes.” 2 August 2005. Web. 6 April 2012 . Pampel, Fred. “Tobacco Industry and Smoking”. New York: Infobase publishing, 2009. Pp. 11-16. Partnership for a Tobacco-Free Maine. “Tobacco Industry.” Web. 6 April 2012 . Reinberg, Steven. “HealthDay.” U.S. News & World Report. 12 February 2009. Web. 6 April 2012 . Schneider, Mary Jane. “Introduction to Public Health.” Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett learning, 2010. Pp. 100-120. Warner, Kevin. Profits of Doom. Am J Public Health. 1993; 83(9): 1211-1213 Anderson, Palmer. Billions Spent on Illegal Drugs. Centre Daily Times. 20 June 2009: 21. Read More