Why does the tobacco industry need to catch teenagers and young adults?
• For the tobacco industry to survive it must hook new customers to replace those who die or quit. It must catch them young. • Most people start smoking before the age of 18, and almost a quarter of these individuals begin using tobacco before the age of 10. • The younger children are when they first try smoking, the more likely they are to become regular tobacco users and the less likely they are to quit. 2 – Why are tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship a threat to young people? • The more exposed to tobacco advertising young people are, the more likely they are to use tobacco. The tobacco industry falsely associates use of its products with desirable qualities such as glamour, energy and sex appeal as well as with exciting activities and adventure. • Widespread tobacco advertising normalizes tobacco use, portraying it as being no different from any other consumer product, and making it difficult for young people to understand the hazards of its use. • Young people underesti
