American Thoracic Society
PUBLIC HEALTH | INFORMATION SERIES
The Tobacco Industry Targets Youth
Tobacco product use is the leading cause of
preventable death and disease in the United States.
Tobacco is one consumer product that kills people
when used exactly as intended. Close to 90% of
people who use tobacco products start before they
turn 18 years old. For the tobacco industry to recruit
new customers to replace the ones dying off, they
need to addict our children. Once a person starts to
smoke, he or she will become dependent on nicotine
quickly. Nicotine addiction is the big factor that
keeps you smoking.
The Lies of the Tobacco Industry.
Image is important. The tobacco industry does not
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care if you know that their products are harmful, “Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
you just need to believe that they are appealing and
cool. For example, they want you to see smoking as
wanted to put graphic warning labels on cigarette
something that makes you glamorous, attractive,
packs that showed the truth about tobacco risks and
sexy, successful, exciting, independent, pleasant,
health problems, the tobacco industry successfully
and popular. Celebrities are often paid to be role
sued the government to block the new labeling. Their
models using tobacco products. The marketing
“freedom” to promote their highly addictive product
approach is to have you think of a strong cowboy
was more important than protecting our youth.
or a beautiful actress. They don’t want you to
think about the serious and life-threatening health Creating products that appeal to youth:
problems that come with tobacco use and exposure The tobacco industry has been very clever in
such as heart attacks, cancer, emphysema, stillbirth, coming up with ways to help attract young people
and sudden infant death. to smoking. For example many products have a
There have been many lawsuits filed against tobacco chemical called menthol added that makes tobacco
companies regarding misleading advertising and less harsh, so it is easier to inhale. That makes
costly health problems. It has been difficult to menthol cigarettes the ideal starter product—and we
fully combat the power of marketing. One large see that children who start with menthol cigarettes
settlement involved 46 states against some of the are more likely to go on to be regular smokers.
largest tobacco companies. As part of the Tobacco There are government restrictions banning added
Master Settlement Agreement, a provision was flavors in cigarettes such as vanilla, chocolate and
made that the money states received could not be cherry. However, this ban does not apply to other
used to threaten the image of their products. When non-cigarette tobacco products. For example, cigars
the US Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (FDA) and Electronic cigarettes can be found in a variety
Am J Respir Crit Care Med Vol. 196 , P11-P12, 2017
ATS Public Health Information Series © 2017 American Thoracic Society
www.thoracic.org
American Thoracic Society
PUBLIC HEALTH | INFORMATION SERIES
of fruit and candy flavors—making them more policies and for adequate funding of tobacco control
appealing as a highly addictive ‘candy’. programs. Do this through your voice and your vote!
Youth are very price sensitive. The higher the A major cause of kids starting tobacco use is tobacco
cost of a product, the less likely they are to use it. promotion. Even simple things—such as raising the
Although there are usually fairly costly taxes on age for sale to 21 years, increasing tobacco taxes,
buying cigarettes, this is not the case for other and prohibiting use of flavors in other tobacco
tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and products can go a long way to protecting children.
cigars. The tobacco industry has taken advantage of Let your legislators and representatives know that
this and created inexpensive, often candy flavored you support tobacco control—and oppose any
products to attract youth. Walk into almost any efforts to create loopholes to exempt any class of
convenience store and you can find candy flavored tobacco products from tobacco control efforts.
cigars selling for as little as 2 for 99 cents. Authors: Harold J. Farber, MD, MSPH, Patricia Folan, RN, DNP
What can you do as a parent? Reviewer: Marianna Sockrider MD, DrPH
First—Set a good example. Kids learn what they Resources:
see. When parents don’t use tobacco, their kids are Tobacco 21–An Important Public Policy to Protect our Youth
less likely to start. Call 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784- https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/
tobacco-21.pdf
8669) for free help in stopping smoking.
Truth Initiative
Second—Tell your kids the truth about tobacco in https://truthinitiative.org/
ways that they can relate to and mean something to Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
them. Tell them how the industry lies to them. Tell http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/
them how tobacco makes their breath smell, rots Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/index.htm
their teeth, hurts their sports performance, and ages
them faster. You can find more information from the This information is a public service of the American Thoracic Society.
Truth Initiative at https://www.thetruth.com/ The content is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute
for the medical advice of one’s healthcare provider.
Third—Be an advocate for effective tobacco control
From 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey
(MMWR October 2, 2015/64 (38); 1066-1070.
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