In the case of smoking tobacco, roll-up tobacco and tobacco products with coverage 1, it is illegal for any of these manufacturers, packers, importers, distributors or retailers of the tobacco product to advertise or have any tobacco product advertised in the United States, unless each advertisement carries. Cigarette and smokeless tobacco companies spend billions of dollars every year to market their products, 1,2. The current guidelines of the WHO FMCT highlight that tobacco vending machines serve mainly to promote tobacco products and recommend their prohibition. Recent trends at the state and local levels have focused on restricting the sale of tobacco products (an area where states and localities have more direct control) rather than on advertising practices to avoid facing First Amendment challenges.
Sponsoring motorsports by the tobacco industry has been underway for decades and is a widely used technique that has adapted to changing advertising laws and media platforms. Tobacco companies cannot sponsor sporting or entertainment events or give away branded promotional items2, 35 and free samples of tobacco products are prohibited except in facilities for adults only2. Tobacco marketing increases the likelihood that young people will experiment with tobacco products or become smokers8, 9, 11. Simple packaging of tobacco products has been shown to be less attractive to young people and adults, and can also discourage smoking12, 13; including graphic health warnings along with simple packaging can further reduce tobacco use experimentation 14, 15.
Direct tobacco advertising has long been banned on television and radio stations in most parts of the world. The most popular social media platforms, such as Facebook 49, Instagram50 and Twitter51, have adopted policies that claim to prohibit tobacco advertising. To maximize the impact of tobacco advertising bans, policies must also address changing forms of promotion, including corporate communication campaigns and retail availability. Another great marketing medium for big tobacco companies is product packaging; the industry still has plenty of room for maneuver to promote its brands directly on the packaging of cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Regulations that restrict the marketing of tobacco limit the promotion, placement, flavorings, or prices of tobacco products. Removing tobacco advertising panels from paylines has been shown to reduce the likelihood that teens will smoke. The prohibition of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) is the cornerstone of comprehensive tobacco control laws. Tobacco packaging in Australia is standardized and dominated by large illustrated health warnings and information about the habit of quitting smoking, and only the name of the tobacco brand appears in small print on a green-brown background.
