No more cigarette advertising? Never mind, there’s an app for that
The University of Sydney’s Becky Freeman, Lyndal Trevena, and Nasser Dhim, argue in this piece that first appeared on The Conversation that the tobacco industry is still finding ways to market to new customers despite changes in the law.
“Every time a door closes a window opens.” This clichéd greeting card sentiment must be the catch-cry of tobacco marketers globally. Every since tobacco advertising was first forced off our television screens in the 1970s, the tobacco industry has been at pains to splash its logos and brands just about anywhere it can.
Public health officials and governments have never been able to keep up with determined and inspired cigarette advertising executives.
No more roadside billboards? No worries – we’ll make our shop displays even bigger and more exciting! No more magazine ads? We’ll sponsor sport and music festivals instead! No vouchers, prizes, giveaways, contests, or freebies? Ok, we’ll buy a starring role for our cigarettes in movies!
Or you could ban cigs altogether.
But then there’s no more hand-wringing or grant-bludging to be done to state the bleeding obvious.
I’m confident that banning cigarettes won’t drive them under the radar, in the same way that this never occured with alcohol prohibiton and narcotics.
So prohibition has counter-productive effects?