02 juin 2009
Tobacco marketing industry
In the area of indirect marketing bans, only 75 countries, covering less than half the world’s population, ban free distribution of tobacco products. One of the least used measures is a prohibition on the use of brand extensions – tobacco brands on other products such as clothing.
Only one third of countries ban brand extensions. Only 59 countries, about one third of those reporting on this policy and covering only a third of the world’s population, prohibit retail price discounts; these are designed to lure young people, who are most sensitive to price, into becoming addicted. Much more remains to be done, but some countries show the way. Norway is in the fourth decade of its tobacco-advertising ban.
The tobacco industry and its allies fought this ban for years, making many false claims along the way, such as that the ban would hurt the country’s economy – a prediction that did not come true. The advertising ban appears to have helped decrease tobacco consumption, particularly among young people.112 Although many countries have implemented some restrictions on tobacco industry promotion, the restrictions are still incomplete in most of the world and, where present, are often poorly enforced. Expanding existing measures into comprehensive bans that prohibit all direct and indirect tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship should be the goal for every country’s leadership.