Smoke Free Birmingham

YOUTH: You are a target!

The tobacco industry targets you day after day in ways you wouldn't even notice.

The tobacco industry spends billions of pounds worldwide advertising and promoting tobacco products which encourages young people to start smoking and reinforces the message that smoking is cool, fashionable and social.

Because so many smokers die prematurely, replacement smokers are needed by the tobacco companies.  Here are a few quotes from tobacco industry documents released after law successful law suits in America.

"Younger adult smokers are the only source of replacement smoker.  If younger adults turn away from smoking, the industry will declined - just like a population which does not give birth will eventualy dwindle."  R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, 1984:  Young Smokers - Strategies and Opportunities

"It is important to know as much as possible about teenage patterns and attitudes.  Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer."  Philip Morris, 1981: Market Research Report on Young People

"Realistically if our company is to survive and prosper over the long term, we must get our share of the youth market.  In my opinion, this will require new brands tailored to the youth market."  "They (13 year olds) represent tomorrow's business."  R.J. Renolds Tobacco Company

The Tobacco Industry needs to recruit over 100,000 new smokers every year in England alone in order to replace those who have quit or died from their habit.  Most people start smoking before the age of 18, and almost a quarter of these individuals begin using tobacco before the age of 10.  The younger children are when they first try smoking, the more likely they are to become regular tobacco users and the less likely they are to quit.

Smoke free Birmingham supports the World Health Organisation’s World No Tobacco Day every year on May 31st.  In 2008 the WHO’s theme is Tobacco Free Youth.  The WHO know that the tobacco industry can only survive if it catches you when you are young which is why the WHO is campaigning around the world to ban all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.  For more information see www.who.int/tobacco/wntd.

The more exposed to tobacco advertising young people are, the more likely they are to use tobacco.  The tobacco industry falsely associates use of its products with desirable qualities such as glamour, energy and sex appeal as well as with exciting activities and adventure.  Widespread tobacco advertising ‘normalises’ tobacco use, portraying it as being no different from any other consumer product, and making it difficult for young people to understand the hazards of its use (World Health Organisation). For more information see www.who.int/tobacco/mpower