YOUTH PERCEPTIONS ABOUT TOBACCO COMPANY-SPONSORED EVENT MARKETING AND PLAIN PACKAGING OF TOBACCO

SS 16.00-17.30 Special sessions

YOUTH PERCEPTIONS ABOUT TOBACCO COMPANY-SPONSORED EVENT MARKETING AND PLAIN PACKAGING OF TOBACCO

AUTHORS: J d'Avernas, I Rootman, B Flay*, D Northrup, M Foster, D Burton*
INSTITUTIONS: Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto, Canada, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States*

Sponsorship of sporting and cultural events by tobacco companies is common in Canada. Advertising for these sponsored events often uses names, colours, logos and font styles that are very similar to those found on cigarette packages. This study examined the extent to which these tactics have resulted in event advertising that is mistaken for cigarette advertising by youth. It also examined plain cigarette packaging as a strategy to break the link between such ads and the cigarette brand.

A total of 339 youth, aged 12-17 participated in 52 focus groups that investigated cigarette brand imagery, attributes of smokers of plain-packaged and regularly-packaged cigarettes, and awareness of sponsorship of events by tobacco companies. Qualitative analyses from these focus groups guided the design of a classroom survey of 2,132 Grade 7 and 9 students in 81 classrooms in Ontario and Chicago, Illinois.

Youth misinterpreted advertising of tobacco-company sponsored events as advertising for tobacco products. Results also indicated that plain cigarette packaging projects less positive imagery than regular packaging. Youth reported that plain packaging would reduce youth smoking. Data from this study provides support for a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising and promotion. Data from this study also support the policy direction of plain packaging for tobacco products.

Smoke Free Europe Conference Abstracts - 19 SEP 1996

Generated with Harlequin WebMaker