Advertising and Films Fortify Tobacco's Hold on Youth

May 31 is World No Tobacco Day

Smoking kills nearly five million people every year, accounting for one out of every ten adult deaths.

In 2002, 5.6 trillion cigarettes were produced and distributed around the world, a decrease of 0.5 percent over 2001. Thirty percent of cigarettes were made and smoked in China. While smoking rates are declining in some countries, especially those implementing comprehensive anti-tobacco campaigns, smoking rates are growing in many others, especially developing ones. Overall, 82 percent of the world's 1.1 billion smokers now live in developing countries.

Tobacco industry efforts, including aggressive lobbying and marketing tactics, are exacerbating the spread of this habit. The glamorization of smoking also contributes to this growth. Movies, many of which now reach a global audience, perpetuate the image that smoking is "cool." Researchers have found that smoking in movies is strongly associated with increased teenage smoking rates, and is as strong an influence as parental or sibling smoking behaviors.

Source:

Cigarette Production Dips Slightly, Vital Signs 2003, pp. 70-71.
Advertising Spending Stays Nearly Flat, Vital Signs 2003, pp. 48-49.

Worldwatch Links

Vital Signs 2003 press release
More research from Worldwatch

Additional Resources:

World No Tobacco Day
World Health Organization's Tobacco Free Initiative