How the Tobacco Industry Hooks Children and Adolescents

The use of tobacco products by young people poses a significant threat to their health and well-being, as well as their likelihood of making it to adulthood without significant complications. Alarmingly, the habit of using tobacco products oftentimes takes root in the formative years of adolescence, with nearly 90% of adult daily smokers having started before the age of 18. According to research, statistics are shown to stagger daily, between 82,000 and 99,000 young people beginning to smoke, most of them being under the age of 10; while also deriving from low- or – middle-income families. Evidence suggests that many tobacco industry strategies target “recruiting new users” among children and adolescents.

Globally

 

The prevalence of tobacco and nicotine product use has increased or remained high in nearly half of the countries that monitor youth tobacco consumption and have witnessed either an increase or a persistently high prevalence of use. Most countries that observed a reduction in youth tobacco use have a High Human Development Index (HDI), however, prevalence remains relatively high among young people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Moreover, a worrying trend has emerged in several countries, where tobacco use among adolescent women is more common than among adult women. This pattern suggests that the gender gap in tobacco use may be narrowing and that the overall prevalence of tobacco use among women could increase in the near future.

 

Combustible cigarettes remain the most common type of tobacco product among young people globally, but in some countries, other tobacco products are more prevalent. For instance, smokeless tobacco was the most common tobacco product used by adolescents in Nepal in 2011. Hookah smoking has historically been more common in parts of Asia and North Africa but has become popular among young people in other regions, particularly among university students.

 

The prevalence of newer nicotine-containing products (including e-cigarettes) among youth has increased substantially in some very high HDI countries. This increase is especially concerning given that youth who use high-strength nicotine solutions are more likely to progress to higher levels of use of both e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes. Data shows that progress toward reducing combustible tobacco use among youth stagnated during 2010-2020, while e-cigarette use increased in some regions. 

 

Tobacco Products are a Global Pediatric concern

 

Tobacco and nicotine product use, along with exposure to second-hand smoke, are becoming increasingly serious and have posed an ever-growing global pediatric threat Tobacco use among children and adolescents is associated with an increased probability of tobacco addiction, reduced lung function, impaired lung growth during childhood and adolescence, increased incidence of asthma, subclinical atherosclerosis, mental health disorders (anxiety, depression), and developmental disorders (ADHD and behavioral disorders) in adolescents.

 

Other indirect dangers for children related to tobacco consumption and smoke exposure include hunger and malnutrition when scarce family resources are diverted towards tobacco purchases instead of food, exploitation of children who work in tobacco crops, and deaths and injuries resulting from fires caused by cigarettes. Tobacco dependence is more common among those who begin using at younger ages than among those who do so later in life. The duration of smoking is also an important factor in lung cancer risk.

The Young Brain and the Tobacco Industry

 

Nicotine Addiction

 

The tobacco industry maintains nicotine – a psychoactive substance more addictive than cocaine or heroin – as a key ingredient in its products. Nicotine acts on the brain’s reward center, promoting the release of dopamine, which transmits a feeling of “euphoria.” Continued and prolonged use drives the brain to adapt and produce more nicotine receptors, resulting in adolescents needing more and more nicotine to obtain the same effect. The brains of children and young people are still in the developmental stages, and as a result, are more sensitive to the effects of nicotine therefore, making them more susceptible to developing nicotine addiction, compared to adults.

 

Psychiatric Disorders and Cognitive Impairment

 

Transnational tobacco companies have invested heavily in research to manipulate the effect of nicotine on the brain. Today, it is known that nicotine also affects parts of the brain responsible for learning and memory, and these changes in the adolescent brain can become permanent. Nicotine can also impair long-term decision-making and exacerbate anxiety, irritability, and impulsivity.

 

Are Children and Teens a Main Target of the Tobacco Industry?

 

Given that 90% of smokers start smoking before the age of 18, and it can be seen that children are the most impressionable members of society and twice as sensitive to tobacco marketing as adults, it can be deduced that children and teens are the main targets of the tobacco industry. In fact, one-third of experimentation with smoking among minors is attributable to tobacco advertising. Children and adolescents have not yet developed the rational capacity to fully evaluate the consequences of smoking and addiction. Nicotine is highly addictive, and children and young people are more sensitive to it, making them more vulnerable to nicotine addiction. Most adolescents who begin smoking will probably continue smoking for several decades into adulthood, and one in two long-term users will die from tobacco-related causes.

 

Numerous internal tobacco industry documents, revealed in several tobacco lawsuits, showed that tobacco companies have perceived children, as young as 13,  as a key target market. They studied children’s smoking habits and developed targeted products and marketing campaigns aimed at them. For example, Philip Morris stated, “Today’s teenager is tomorrow’s potential regular customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while still in their teens… The smoking patterns of teenagers are particularly important to Philip Morris”. Similarly, Lorillard Tobacco commented, “The basis of our business is the high school student”. Comparative analysis of these internal documents with the tobacco industry’s public arguments reveals glaring inconsistencies between the public statements and the private information of these companies.

 

What Has the US Justice Said About the Actions of the Tobacco Industry?

 

In August 2006, United States District Court Judge Gladys Kessler issued her final opinion in the US government’s landmark case against tobacco companies, meticulously describing how tobacco companies target young people with sophisticated marketing campaigns. According to Judge Kessler, the tobacco companies carefully studied youth behavior and used their findings to create images and themes that appeal to young people. Judge Kessler concluded that:

“The defendants spent enormous resources tracking the behaviors and preferences of [minors]… to get them to start smoking and to keep them smoking”.

 

Judge Kessler also noted that from the 1950s to the present, different defendants have intentionally marketed to minors in order to recruit ‘replacement smokers’ and secure the economic future of the tobacco industry. Tobacco companies knowingly placed advertisements in magazines popular with youth, often directly mailed articles to youth without verifying their age, and consistently denied publicly that they targeted youth.

 

What Have Health Authorities Said About Tobacco Industry Strategies on Adolescents?

 

The 2012 and 2014 Surgeon General Reports concluded that there is a causal relationship between tobacco companies’ advertising and promotional efforts and the onset and progression of youth tobacco use. The reports highlight that the root cause of the tobacco epidemic is the aggressive marketing and promotion of lethal and addictive products by the tobacco industry, which continues to recruit youth and young adults as new consumers of these products. Tobacco companies continue to market their products to children, for example, through advertising at points of sale near schools and playgrounds with large advertisements and posters clearly visible from outside the stores. In 2021, major tobacco companies spent 77.3% of their marketing budget on point-of-sale advertising, including pricing strategies.

 

A comprehensive report from the United States Congress in April 2023 also highlighted how tobacco companies are targeting children and adolescents with flavored nicotine products, packaging, and marketing that appeals to young people, and campaigns aimed at groups with a high percentage of young consumers. The report showed that marketing to children is a well-thought-out strategy and that the tobacco industry uses various tactics to keep young people addicted, such as using social media influencers to promote their products and offering free samples in places where children are likely to be.

 

Is the Tobacco Industry Behind E-Cigarettes?

 

The tobacco industry has been at the forefront of the e-cigarette market. Companies like Altria, British American Tobacco, and Japan Tobacco International have all made significant investments in e-cigarettes and other next-generation products, seeing them as a way to capture new users while circumventing some of the restrictions on traditional tobacco advertising. In particular, the company JUUL Labs, which has been one of the most prominent players in the e-cigarette market, has faced numerous lawsuits and regulatory actions for allegedly targeting youth with their marketing and product design. Documents and testimonies in these cases have revealed that JUUL employed marketing strategies that were particularly appealing to young people, including using social media influencers, flashy packaging, and sweet flavors. These practices have been heavily criticized by public health advocates and have led to increased scrutiny and regulation of the e-cigarette market .

Conclusion

 

By targeting children and adolescents, the industry aims to cultivate a new generation of lifelong nicotine addicts, ensuring a steady stream of profits at the expense of public health. Combating the tobacco industry’s predatory targeting of children and adolescents requires a multi-faceted approach, where governments prioritize the implementation and enforcement of strict regulations on tobacco and nicotine products.

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