Advertising: Tobacco

Tobacco advertising involves a variety of media formats (i.e., print, radio, television, billboards, point-of-sale, movie placement, Internet or social media, direct mail) and applies multiple persuasive tactics (e.g., visual appeal, sex appeal, masculinity and feminism cues, celebrity endorsement, motivational appeal) to encourage tobacco purchase and use. Scientific evidence points to the association between exposure to tobacco advertisements and subsequent increases in tobacco use. Due to the health risks of tobacco use, especially for youth, tobacco advertising is among the most regulated types of advertising. Globally, empirical research found that comprehensive tobacco advertising bans can reduce tobacco consumption, whereas partial tobacco advertising bans will have little or no effect as manufacturers may turn to non-banned media formats of advertisements. Other factors such as transnational tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, as well as electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) enabled by the Internet, social media, and mobile communication, also pose additional challenges to health communication programs in tobacco control and prevention. This entry consists of five sections: (1) tobacco products and health risks, (2) tobacco advertising and persuasive tactics, (3) regulatory activities, (4) anti-tobacco health communication, and (5) implications for health communication.