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Tobacco Industry Tactics

Brief overview of the topic:

Tobacco is a global industry. Because tobacco can be grown in any warm, moist environment it is grown on every continent of the world except Antartica. The term “tobacco industry” or “Big Tobacco” usually refers to the companies involved in the manufacture of cigarettes, cigars, snuff, chewing and pipe tobacco. This industry is heavily dominated by giant firms and tobacco monopolies.

Since nearly 90% of regular smokers start smoking before they are 19, children and teenagers represent a large source of potential long-term income for the tobacco industry. The tobacco industry uses a variety of tactics to promote their product and there is strong proof that Big Tobacco targets children, teens and young adults. They have conducted extensive research into creating a product that is appealing to children and teens.^[1]

You can do a school project on tobacco industry tactics as part of subjects such as: Social Studies, Media Studies, Canadian and World Studies, Social Sciences and Business Studies.

Here are some ideas and questions to investigate for a school project:

• What are some of the tactics that Big Tobacco uses to sell its deadly product?
• How is tobacco grown on tobacco farms? Is the industry environmentally responsible in their production techniques?
• Who does the Big Tobacco target with their product and how do they hook them?
• Who are some of the major tobacco companies in Canada? Are they different from American companies? What are their annual profits?
• What does globalization mean? How does the tobacco industry market their product in the third world?
• Although it is not in their best interest, many tobacco companies have developed so called “smoking prevention” programs for youth. Are these programs effective? Why or why not?
• Design and create a poster that exposes Big Tobacco.
• Make a YouTube video that exposes Big Tobacco.
• Write a paper on how the tobacco industry is using flavoured cigars and cigarillos to entice kids to use tobacco products.