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Tobacco Promotions Negate Impact of Anti-Smoking Messages

December 1, 2006

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Turn on TV and one tobacco company commercial after another from urges young people not to smoke. But does that mean "big tobacco" has given up recruiting new smokers? A new study says, absolutely not.

In fact, researchers at RTI International suggest that cigarette makers are using aggressive point-of-purchase marketing techniques to circumvent policies designed to reduce demand for tobacco products.

The study, published in the December issue of Tobacco Control, found that on average, promoted cigarette prices were 25 percent lower than non-promoted prices. Since the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement banned tobacco advertising aimed at teens, promoted cigarette sales have increased significantly and are more frequent in areas with higher tobacco control funding and higher cigarette taxes than in those with weaker tobacco control policies.

"Tobacco control policies are designed to reduce smoking among teens and adults and protect the public from second-hand smoke," said Brett Loomis, an RTI researcher and the study's lead author. "As long as cigarette companies are allowed to advertise and promote their products, there will always be the potential for aggressive marketing practices to reduce the effectiveness of policies intended to reduce cigarette use and improve public health."

Researchers studied cigarette scanner data collected at grocery stores in 50 retail market areas across the United States from 1994 to 2004. The data allowed researchers to analyze total cigarette sales as well as cigarettes sold as part of point-of-purchase promotions that include buy-one-pack, get-one-pack-free offers, price reductions and free merchandize with purchase.

The authors suggest that policymakers consider strengthening minimum price laws on cigarettes as well as granting the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco marketing to enhance the effectiveness of tobacco control policies.

According to the study, eliminating all cigarette promotions would result in an average increase of 34 cents per pack in cigarette prices, which would result in almost 4 percent decline in cigarette use.

The study was funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Substance Abuse Policy Research Program, a $54 million initiative focused on analyzing and informing public and private policies aimed at reducing the harm caused by alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and multiple-substance use.

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