Tobacco Industry Tactics

Question 1

List some advertising tactics used by the tobacco industry.

Answer 1

Advertising elsewhere
Lobbying
Public relations
Allied groups
Denial
Dismissing medical evidence 
Accusations of junk science
Playing on economic fears

Question 2

Describe manufacturing tactics used by the tobacco industry

Answer 2

Cigarettes do not burn out if the person is not inhaling
Using menthol (perceived to be a healthy ingredient)
"Light" cigarettes; trying to appeal to upscale markets and/or women with body image issues

Question 3

List tactics used by tobacco companies to target diverse populations.

Answer 3

Women: donating to women’s organizations, creating women-only or dual-sex brands

People with mental illness or concurrent disorders: distributing free tobacco samples at homeless shelters or soup kitchens, donating money to organizations that support homeless populations

Indigenous and Aboriginal populations: making tobacco products that they claim have sacred traditional medicines; funding ceremonies and cultural events

Youth: publishing ads in American magazines (banned in Canada but not in the US), focusing on individual life stages to target transition periods, developing flavoured tobacco products, purchasing e-cigarette companies in anticipation of e-cigarettes becoming a gateway product to tobacco use

Diverse sexual orientations and gender identities populations: financial support and advertising in population-specific magazines

Question 4

List the common tobacco industry countermeasures used to circumvent tobacco control measures.

Answer 4

Taxation/pricing policies ➡️ contraband tobacco products

Smoke-free spaces ➡️ smokeless tobacco

Advertising and promotion regulations ➡️ tobacco advertising and onsite promotion (e.g. handing out free cigarettes at nightclubs)

De-normalization of tobacco use ➡️ product placement in movies and TV