STRATEGIES FROM THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY TO ADDICT YOUTH: THE CANARY ISLANDS EXPERIENCE

SS 16.00-17.30 Special sessions

STRATEGIES FROM THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY TO ADDICT YOUTH: THE CANARY ISLANDS EXPERIENCE

AUTHORS: M Torres, M C Navarro, A Lopez, J M Segura, M Lopez, J Calvo,
M P Garcia*, J R Calvo
INSTITUTIONS: University of Las Palmas de G C, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain*

Smoking cigarettes is recognized as a major cause of future mortality and morbidity in young people living in industrialized countries.

Different studies in Spain has shown that 17% of boys and 12% of girls less than 11 years old have smoked sometime in their life (Tabaco Hoy.Ed.Consejeria de Salud.Comunidad de Madrid. Vol 1. 1994) and actually almost 50% of our adolescents smoke.

Spain is well know as one of the most important markets for the Tobacco Companies in Europe and the Canary Islands are the most important place of manufacturing tobacco products in the country.

The last year, a major tobacco company has spent only in this region 1.7 million PTAS. (14. 000 USD) in advertising.

Analysing the advertising materials it is easy to understand that the main target of them are the young people. They are offering bikes, walkmans, free tickets to rock concerts, etc.

Probably the most aggressive strategy is to use the TV as a subliminal advertising media, in sporting and musical programmes.

Different research papers have shown that this advertising strategy is the most powerful instrument used by tobacco companies to increase their profits.

It is absolutely necessary to promote laws preventing these practices and instruments for controlling the abuses that the industry has practised until now.

Smoke Free Europe Conference Abstracts - 19 SEP 1996

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