Tobacco advertising and promotions
Every year the tobacco industry spends billions of pounds worldwide advertising and promoting tobacco products. Banning advertising has been shown to reduce consumption and is therefore an important public health policy objective. A review by the UK Department of Health's Chief Economic Adviser in 1992 found that in countries that had implemented a tobacco advertising ban, there was a drop in tobacco consumption of between 4% and 16%.[1]
Since February 2003, virtually all forms of tobacco advertising and promotion are banned in the UK under the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill. From 2005, cross-border sponsorship by tobacco brands was banned across the European Union under an EU Directive. A total ban on advertising and sponsorship is a core measure advocated within the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control - the global treaty which aims to reduce tobacco consumption and smoking-related harm.
These national and international measures to curb tobacco advertising have been achieved as a result of tireless campaigning by tobacco control and public health organisations and advocates for almost 20 years. As tobacco companies are prohibited from using traditional advertising media, we must be vigilant in tackling new indirect or stealth marketing tactics in the UK, and the spread of marketing in unregulated countries.
Reference
- Smee C, Parsonage M, Anderson R, Duckworth S. Effect of tobacco advertising on tobacco consumption: a discussion document reviewing the evidence. London, Economics and Operational Research Division, Department of Health, 1992