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Expose Big Tobacco |
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The Impact of Tobacco Industry Sponsorship
Sponsorship markets tobacco brands to kids. • “A considerable body of research suggests that tobacco sports sponsorship may influence youth smoking attitudes and behavior. This research has found that cigarette sports sponsorship has profound affects on brand awareness, perceived connections between brands and sport, associations between cigarette sports sponsorship and excitement, attitudes about smoking, and smoking behavior.” 11• The majority of studies regarding tobacco sponsorship agree that its effects on children are similar to those of traditional tobacco product advertisement and promotion12; about 1/3 of adolescent experimentation with smoking results directly from tobacco advertising and promotion.13• Tobacco industry sponsored events are typically home to tobacco brand promotional activity. Research shows that children who participate in promotional activities are over 9 times more likely to smoke than other children.14And they don’t have to be at the event to be affected.
A study in the UK revealed that about 1/3 of 10- and 11-yearolds and more than half of children 12 and older could name cigarette brands and their associated sponsored sports The effect is often subliminal. In the study mentioned above, while only 9% of under-12-year-olds could identify Marlboro and John Player Special as major auto racing sponsors, 47% of them identified those brands as being liked by “someone who likesexcitement and fast racing cars.” 17 Simply knowing of a friend who has participated in tobacco promotional activities makes youth 3 times more likely to smoke18; and Just being willing to use a tobacco promotional item has the same impact as actually owning the item on increasing you smoking susceptibility.19 Sponsorship pays off…for tobacco companies. • Between 1995 and 1999, tobacco companies sponsored at least 2733 events, programs, and organizations in the US, with funding adding up to a minimum of $365.4 million.20• In only half of that period, these sponsorships allowed for tobacco brands to have 169 hours of television exposure, an advertising value of $410.5 million.21WANT TO PROTECT OUR YOUTH? JOIN OUR LIST OF BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SAYING "NO THANKS BIG TOBACCO" TO TOBACCO INDUSTRY MONEY!
WANT YOUR BUSINESS OR ORGANIZATION TO BE ADDED TO THIS LIST, CALL 1-866-3RURAL3! RESOURCES: 11Siegel, Michael. “Counteracting Tobacco Motor Sports Sponsorship as a Promotional Tool: Is the Tobacco Settlement Enough?” American Journal of Public Health. 2001; 91: 1100-1106.12 Cornwell, T Betina, and Maignan, Isabella. “An International Review of Sponsorship Research.” Journal of Advertising. 1998; 27(1): 1-21.13 Pierce, John P., et al. “Tobacco industry promotion of cigarettes and adolescent smoking.” JAMA. February 1998; 279(7): 511-515.14 Altman, David G., et al. “Tobacco Promotion and Susceptibility to Tobacco Use among Adolescents Aged 12-17 Years in a Nationally Representative Sample.” American Journal of Public Health. Nov 1996; 86(11): 1590-1593.15 Siegel, Michael. “Counteracting Tobacco Motor Sports Sponsorship as a Promotional Tool: Is the Tobacco Settlement Enough?” American Journal of Public Health. 2001; 91: 1100-1106.16 Aitken, PP, et al. “Children’s awareness of cigarette brand sponsorship of sports and games in the UK.” Health Education Research: Theory and Practice. 1986;1(3):203-211.17 Ibid.18 Altman, David G.. 1996.19 Pierce, John P. 1998.20 Rosenburg, N Jennifer and Siegel, Michael. “Use of corporate sponsorship as a tobacco marketing tool: a review of tobacco industry sponsorship in the USA, 1995-1999.” Tobacco Control. 2001; 10: 239-246.21 Siegel, Michael. 2001. |
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