Tobacco advertising has long been a contentious issue, with evidence showing that general advertising bans lead to a reduction in the number of people who start smoking and continue to smoke. Statistics also demonstrate that banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce the demand for tobacco and can be considered one of the best options for tobacco control. The effectiveness of advertising bans in reducing tobacco consumption and “denormalizing” tobacco products are much more plausible reasons for the opposition of the tobacco industry. An analysis of tobacco consumption before and after the introduction of the ban on advertising in many countries has estimated that general advertising bans reduce the onset of smoking by an average of 6% and the prevalence of smoking by an average of 4%. A partial ban is likely to only reduce prevalence and onset by 2%.
On April 1, 1970, President Richard Nixon signed a law that officially prohibited cigarette advertisements on television and radio. Competing interests: BF works as a paid expert advisor in the Secretariat of the WHO FMCT Convention on Cross-Border Tobacco Advertising. Direct tobacco advertising has long been banned on television and radio stations in most parts of the world. To maximize the impact of tobacco advertising bans, policies must also address changing forms of promotion, including corporate communication campaigns and retail availability. When prohibitions on the marketing of tobacco in retail outlets were first introduced, they only included things such as promotional posters, banners, flags and stickers in stores with tobacco brands. The most popular social media platforms, such as Facebook 49, Instagram50 and Twitter51, have adopted policies that claim to prohibit tobacco advertising.
Banning all online tobacco sales is another possible first step in limiting supply. Some convincing arguments for conveying to nervous customers the role of the tobacco retailer in the comforting campaign for smokers in the Australian tobacco industry, 1953-1978. Encouraging the use of certain brands among current consumers is undoubtedly an important function of tobacco advertising. The current WHO FMCT guidelines state that tobacco vending machines serve mainly to promote tobacco products and recommend their prohibition. Overall, it is clear that banning tobacco advertising is an effective way to reduce both the prevalence and onset of smoking. It is also important to note that policies must address changing forms of promotion, including corporate communication campaigns and retail availability. The total prohibition of direct and indirect advertising, promotion and sponsorship, as set out in the guidelines of Article 13 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, can substantially reduce tobacco consumption and protect people from industry marketing tactics.
