Tobacco Companies Using Advertising Tactics That Target Teenagers

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Tobacco companies should be prevented from using advertising tactics that target teenagers. There has always been controversy as to how tobacco companies should prevent using advertising tactics to target teenagers. As controversial as this is tobacco companies shouldn’t advertise teen smoking. Many teens may be lured to believe cigarette advertising because it has been part of the American Culture for years, magazine ads and the media target young people, and these companies receive a drastic increase financially; however, the advertising by these cigarette companies has disadvantages such as having to campaign against their own company, limiting their cigarette advertising and becoming a controversial dilemma as to encouraging teenagers to smoke. From billboards to newspaper advertisements, cigarette promotions started becoming part of the American Culture.
Tobacco companies started making collection cards, with photographs of models and baseball players, in cigarette packages to encourage new smokers. In 1964, the United States Surgeon General released a report stating that cigarette smoking was causing health hazards. As to American people that abused of cigarettes thought that consuming it wouldn’t cause any harm even when medical statistics were coming out to light. Smoking cigarettes has been part of American Culture for centuries and no body is about to stop this consumption because of several statistics. Many people that knew about this controversy didn’t know a way to stop it, only that it would continue to be part of an american’s life.
There was a Master Settlement Agreement in 1998 that banned cigarette marketing that would target teenagers under eighteen. “Tobacco companies continue to advertise in magazine articles...

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...y limits on such advertisements are necessary.”
Although there are many cigarette advertisements that have been banned, tobacco companies continue to find ways to lure teenagers into buying cigarettes. By starting campaigns to encourage young teenagers to not smoke and giving them advice to make better decisions, it will increase their mental stability to believe that smoking cigarettes is a bad habit. Now, it is up to our young teenagers to make the right choice and not allow tobacco companies to manipulate them.

Works Cited

Clay, Rebecca. Advertising to Children: Is It Ethical? Sept. 2000. Web. 13 Jan 2014.

Krisberg, Kim. Anti-smoking Campaign Lower Youth Smoking Rate. 2005. Web. 9 Jan 2014.

Malaspina, Ann. False Images, Deadly Promises. Broomall: Mason Crest, 2009. Print.

Reeples, Lynne. Cigarette Ads May Lure Teens to Smoke. 18 Jan 2011. Web. 8 Jan 2014.

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