Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, And Sponsorship Research Articles

Cross-sectional study of the associations between the implementation of the WHO FCTC tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship bans and current e-cigarette use among youth from countries with different income levels

BackgroundThe WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Article 13 requires countries to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS), and bans are recommended to cover electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes)....

Tobacco-related content on social networking sites: evidence from a youth-led campaign in India

Background Social networking sites (SNS) have become the contemporary platform of choice for advertising, promoting, sponsoring, boosting and expanding tobacco marketing. A youth-led campaign was conducted to (i) identify and collate violations of tobacco advertisement, promotion, and sponsorship on SNS; and (ii) undertake content analysis of the collated violations. Methods After a series of capacity-building webinars aimed at empowering youths, they were tasked with collating posts (photos and videos) that showcased the promotion and sale of tobacco products online. Additionally, the youth identified relevant hashtags used to promote tobacco. Results The youth identified 748 posts (photos and videos) on SNS where tobacco was being promoted. Most of these posts (84.7%) promoted the ‘smoking form’ of tobacco. Renowned celebrities and influencers with massive followership actively endorsed tobacco products. The youth identified 148 pages that were involved in selling tobacco online. Instagram (62.7%) accounted for the majority, followed by Facebook (23.7%). The most commonly available forms of tobacco in these online stores were ‘smoked forms’ (73.5%). In their efforts, the youth collated 1412 hashtags related to tobacco promotion. The most commonly reported hashtags were #smoking and #hookah. The maximum numbers of tobacco posts were for #vape (296 million) and #smoke (218 million). Conclusions There is an urgent need to revise Section 5 of “The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act, 2003” to broaden the coverage of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) prohibition on all internet-based platforms including SNS to protect Indian youth.

Specific vs Unspecific Smoke-Free Regulation: Which One is More Effective?

Tobacco kills up to half of its users, and smoking prevalence and tobacco exposure among Indonesian youth are increasing. A comprehensive ban on Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship (TAPS) is a recommended tobacco control measure. Thus, this study aimed to analyze and compare political economy factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the TAPS ban implementation in Surabaya and Kulon Progo. In-depth interviews and a focus group discussion were conducted, recorded, transcribed, then analyzed using thematic analysis. We find that the role of local government was pivotal in creating and implementing regulations for tobacco control, while the leaders’ will and capability were also essential. However, the COVID-19 pandemic had limited all tobacco control measures in both studied districts. Furthermore, the lack of political will and low support from the political parties are the several factors hindering tobacco control measures at the district level, including TAPS ban enforcement. We also find that there is a need to strengthen the understanding of local government, society, and other related stakeholders toward the urgency of the TAPS ban. Further studies calculating the impact of the total TAPS ban on local revenue and the potential benefit of a total TAPS ban are urgently needed for advocating total TAPS ban implementation in a broader scope of the country.

From the international tobacco control arena to the local context: a qualitative study on the tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship legislative environment in Sudan and the challenges characterising it

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to assess the Sudanese tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) legislative environment and the challenges characterising it. We formulated three research questions: What is...

Achieving a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040: a qualitative analysis of the tobacco advertising environment and prohibitions in Bangladesh

ObjectivesThis paper explores the Bangladeshi tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) legislative environment, to highlight any potential policy loopholes and to facilitate the identification of additional provisions for inclusion. The...

Progress, Gaps, and Tobacco Industry Opposition to Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship Bans in the World Health Organization African Region.

Although the African Region (AFRO) has the lowest smoking prevalence by World Health Organization region, the prevalence rate is expected to grow from 15.8% in 2010 to 21.9% in 2030 based on 2010 levels, the largest projected increase in the world.1 A key reason for this upsurge is that tobacco companies aggressively market in AFRO to recruit new tobacco users, especially youth.2 To combat this, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)’s Article 13 and its Guidelines ­recommend prohibiting all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS).3 While there is robust literature on tobacco industry marketing in Africa,4 there is scarce research to date assessing TAPS, including only one 2011 regional analysis of TAPS policies in AFRO.5 Given these gaps and the lack of TAPS implementation data available, the goal of this review was to assess the progress of TAPS policies adopted and to discuss efforts to overcome barriers to pass and implement TAPS bans in AFRO.

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control 2030-A Program to Accelerate the Implementation of World Health Organization Framework Convention for Tobacco Control in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation.

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) 2030 Program (2017-2021) was launched to accelerate World Health Organization (WHO) FCTC implementation in 15 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We evaluated the Program in six domains: Governance; Smoke-Free Policies; Taxation; Packaging and Health Warnings; Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship (TAPS) bans; and International and Regional Cooperation. Following a mixed-methods design, we surveyed (June-September 2020) FCTC focal persons in 14 of the 15 countries, to understand the Program's financial and technical inputs and progress made in each of the six domains. The data were coded in terms of inputs (financial = 1, technical = 1, or both = 2) and progress (none = 1, some = 2, partial = 3, or strong = 4) and a correlation was computed between the inputs and progress scores for each domain. We conducted semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in five countries. We triangulated between the survey and interview findings. FCTC 2030 offered substantial financial and technical inputs, responsive to country needs, across all six domains. There was a high positive correlation between technical inputs and progress in five of the six domains, ranging from r = 0.61 for taxation (p < .05) to r = 0.91 and for smoke-free policies (p < .001). The interviews indicated that the Program provided timely and relevant evidence and created opportunities for influencing tobacco control debates. The FCTC 2030 Program might have led to variable, but significant progress in advancing FCTC implementation in the 15 countries. As expected, much of the progress was in augmenting existing structures and resources for FCTC implementation. The resulting advances are likely to lead to further progress in FCTC policy implementation. What this study adds: In many LMICs, WHO FCTC policies are not in place; and even when enshrined in law, they are poorly enforced. It is not clear how financial and technical assistance to high tobacco-burden LMICs can most effectively accelerate the implementation of WHO FCTC policies and offer value for money. Bespoke and responsive assistance, both financial and technical, to LMICs aimed at accelerating the implementation of WHO FCTC policies are likely to lead to progress in tobacco control.

Exposure to tobacco advertisements, promotions, and sponsorships among in-school adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study.

The Nigerian government implemented the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) in 2015, which prohibits tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) exposure to children under 18 years of age. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of attitudes and exposure to TAPS among in-school adolescents in Lagos State, Nigeria, 5 years after the implementation of the Act and to identify the factors associated with TAPS exposure among the adolescents. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 968 in-school adolescents selected through multistage random sampling. The data were collected using self-administered questionnaires adapted from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey. Overall, 77% had been exposed to at least one form of TAPS in the past 30 days. The most frequently reported channel of exposure was through product placements, with 62% reporting exposure in films, TV, and videos. Up to 15.2% and 12.6% were exposed to TAPS through promotional activities and sponsorships, respectively. The majority (82.3%) had pro-tobacco attitudes, while about a third (33.1%) had pro-TAPS attitudes. Factors associated with TAPS exposure were having pro-TAPS attitudes (odds ratio [OR]: 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.3-5.3), being female (OR: 2, 95% CI: 1.4-2.7), and residing in a rural area (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2-2.3). Five years after implementing the NTCA, more than two-thirds of the adolescents reported exposure to TAPS, mainly through films, TV, and videos. This suggests that the NTCA is poorly enforced. Efforts to ensure the effective implementation of comprehensive TAPS bans are warranted. Gender-sensitive strategies that target adolescents' attitudes and school-level factors should be emphasized.

Tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) in Ethiopia: a scoping review and narrative synthesis

Background Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) has been shown to increase tobacco use in both adults and young people. In Ethiopia, TAPS is recognised as a top priority for the government, and all tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship forms are prohibited. There is recognition that there are gaps in the evidence needed to inform policy and practice on TAPS, but the extent and nature of these gaps have not been explored. This review was aimed at understanding the extent and nature of the evidence gaps on TAPS in Ethiopia and identifying primary research priorities to inform future research direction. Methods Systematic searches were conducted in February 2022 in the following research databases: Medline, EMBASE, and PsycInfo. Two reviewers independently screened the study reports for eligibility and extracted data from the eligible studies. The extracted data was collated and summarised descriptively and policy, practice, and research recommendations were drawn. Research topics on TAPS in Ethiopia that stakeholders perceived to be priorities for primary research were identified through a consultation workshop. Results 579 research reports were identified, and only six studies were included in the scoping review. The included studies explored the following topics: the use of tobacco imagery in movies/films (two studies); the association between mass media exposure or home internet access and tobacco use (two studies), watching of televised football and tobacco smoking in adolescents (one study), exposure to point-of-sale advertising of tobacco products and daily occurrence of smoking or second-hand smoke exposure in the home among women (one study), and exposure to anti-smoking messages through mass media and disparities in risk perceptions across socio-economic and urban-rural subgroups (one study). None of the included studies investigated tobacco-related sponsorship. The top research priority topics identified by stakeholders in Ethiopia were: 1) barriers and facilitators to TAPS policy implementation, enforcement, and compliance monitoring; and 2) developing and testing effective, low-cost, and scalable strategies for TAPS enforcement and compliance monitoring. Conclusions There is a need for research evidence to inform policy and practice on TAPS in Ethiopia, particularly on barriers and facilitators to TAPS policy implementation, enforcement, compliance monitoring, and effective, low-cost, and scalable strategies for TAPS enforcement and compliance monitoring.

Tobacco control is integral to global COVID-19 response: an opportunity to accelerate toward SDGs

Abstract Issue Tobacco use intersects with the COVID-19 pandemic not only in terms of health consequences, but also on public health systems, economies, and the environment. Description of the problem The global tobacco supply contributes significantly to environmental pollution of the natural ecosystems. The damage is compounded by tobacco consumption and its resultant waste, which leaves a significant carbon footprint on the environment, undermining the planet’s ecological stability and intensifying climate change. Furthermore, tobacco use exacerbates inequalities and adds burdens to COVID-19-related mortality, which are major challenges to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Results he pandemic has provided a chance to combat tobacco use and accelerate efforts to alleviate these challenges and accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The MPOWER measures from the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) can play an integral part to boost sustainable and equitable COVID-19 recovery — Monitor tobacco use (article 20); Protection from tobacco smoke (article 8); Offer help for tobacco cessation (article 14); Warn about the dangers of tobacco (article 11); Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) (article13); and Raise tobacco taxes (article 6). Lessons To accelerate recovery, it is critical to call for actions for governments and policy-makers to strengthen synergies and policy actions to emphasise tobacco control across equity, public health, climate actions, and counteract against the tobacco industry during and beyond COVID-19 as global authorities pledge to achieve the SDGs. Key messages • Global authorities must create better synergies on policies with a prime focus on reinforcing tobacco control to recover from the pandemic. • The WHO FCTC MPOWER measures can play an integral part in COVID-19 recovery to fight tobacco use and accelerate progress toward SDGs.

Association of Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship (TAPS) exposure on smoking intention and current smoking behavior among youth in Indonesia

ABSTRACT Background This study aimed to assess the association of Tobacco Advertising Promotion and Sponsorship (TAPS) exposure on smoking intensity and smoking behavior among youth in Indonesia. Method This study used secondary data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2019. The participants were secondary students from grades 7 to 12. We used multiple logistic regression to assess the association of TAPS exposure with smoking intention among smokers and current smoking status. Results More than half of participants (64,54%) reported being exposed by TAPS in television, followed by outdoor media (60,82%) and point of sales (55,45%). About 2.27% of 7,679 nonsmoking participants had the intention to smoke cigarettes. Furthermore, TAPS exposure in sports events, music concerts, community gatherings, or social events, being offered free tobacco products, owning the tobacco industry’s merchandise, and receiving vouchers of cigarettes discounts was associated with the smoking intention of nonsmokers and current smoking status. In addition, a significant association was found between TAPS exposure in television, the internet, and print media with current smoking status among youth in Indonesia. Conclusions TAPS exposure was significantly associated with smoking intention and smoking behavior among youth in Indonesia. Therefore, we recommended that the government ban TAPS in any form.

Work Package 8 of the Joint Action on Tobacco Control 2: Smoke-free environments and tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) legislation in Europe

Work Package 8 of the Joint Action on Tobacco Control 2: Smoke-free environments and tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) legislation in Europe

Progress in adopting bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship in the Americas: lessons from Uruguay and Argentina.

ABSTRACTObjective.To assess progress in and barriers to implementing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) in Uruguay, which has a complete ban, and Argentina, with a partial ban.Methods.Legislation on TAPS bans in Uruguay and Argentina was reviewed and relevant published literature, news stories, civil society reports and tobacco industry reports retrieved to analyze progress in implementing TAPS bans.Results.In Uruguay, the complete TAPS ban, which includes standardized tobacco packaging, maintains high compliance and severely limits exposure of TAPS, despite a few problems with corporate social responsibility, social media, and transnational advertising. In Argentina, the partial TAPS ban has more problems with compliance and exposure to TAPS. The most important barriers to implementing TAPS bans in both countries are the tobacco companies. In Uruguay, tobacco companies do not comply in a few areas but the complete ban greatly minimizes this. In Argentina, however, tobacco companies can more easily exploit gaps in the partial TAPS ban, such as advertising at the points of sale, promoting contests, and using influencers on social media.Conclusions.The partial TAPS ban in Argentina illustrates the problems with enforcement and the tobacco industry’s ability to exploit loopholes and continue to market their products, especially to young people. A complete TAPS ban, including standardized tobacco packaging, as in Uruguay, is easier to implement and enforce and is effective in reducing exposure to tobacco advertising. Nevertheless, governments should prioritize implementing TAPS bans on social media, which remains a difficult sphere to monitor and allows tobacco companies to continue recruiting and targeting young people.

Understanding the ethical legitimacy of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship in Indonesia in the context of increased government regulation: a legitimacy-as-perception perspective

PurposeThe authors explore the metaphors people from Indonesia use to describe their propriety beliefs about the ethical legitimacy of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS). This paper aims to understand why there is a consensus of propriety beliefs about the ethical legitimacy of TAPS in the face of increased government regulations and international criticism of such marketing practices.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 71 study participants using both focus groups and in-depth photo-elicitation interviews.FindingsThe participants use three sets of metaphors to describe propriety beliefs. First, participants used metaphors that described the centrality of TAPS and smoking in Indonesian society. Second, they used metaphors that described TAPS regulations and regulators and third, they used metaphors that described the activities of tobacco firms. Participants’ photographs revealed strong collective validity of TAPS within Indonesia and strong propriety beliefs consensus.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is one of the first to integrate legitimacy-as-perception theory and the ecological systems framework to gain a multilevel insight into the TAPS activities are perceived as legitimate and, therefore, not unethical.Practical implicationsThe findings have important implications for tobacco control regulators who wish to curtail TAPS in a country where all levels of the ecological system reinforce their collective validity. Policy and regulative initiatives must, therefore, be used in a systemic way to change this collective validity.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to use a legitimacy perspective to understand the ethical legitimacy of TAPS in marketing literature. It is also the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to use the three legitimacy-as-perception constructs: propriety beliefs, collective validity and consensus of propriety beliefs. The authors show that despite increased government regulations and international disapproval, TAPS continues to be considered ethically legitimate in Indonesia.

Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship in India and Indonesia: Present Regime and the Way Forward.

One of the important factors contributing to tobacco epidemic is tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS). TAPS is employed by tobacco industry to increase demand for its products, often through targeting specific groups or market segments. The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) recommends implementation of comprehensive bans on TAPS as part of an effective set of tobacco control policies. Article 13 of the WHO FCTC and its guidelines mandate a comprehensive ban on all TAPS. Besides, TAPS ban is one of the MPOWER strategy and is included in the 'Best Buys' for effective tobacco control. However, many countries, especially low-income and middle-income countries, primarily implement only partial TAPS bans, allowing the tobacco industry to directly or indirectly advertise and promote its products via multiple media. This review article analyzes the current state of affairs in respect of TAPS in India and Indonesia, the two of the largest countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region of the world, and discusses the way forward to address the identified gaps in TAPS ban policy formulation and implementation focusing on strengthening its compliance and enforcement at the country level.

Role of civil society action committee as a key actor for successfully implementation of bans of Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship (TAPS) under tobacco control laws in the southern coastal areas of Bangladesh

Role of civil society action committee as a key actor for successfully implementation of bans of Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship (TAPS) under tobacco control laws in the southern coastal areas of Bangladesh

IAWER- A systematic approach for monitoring of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) violation at the point of sales in Bangladesh

IAWER- A systematic approach for monitoring of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) violation at the point of sales in Bangladesh

Commercial determinants of youth smoking in ASEAN countries: A narrative review of research investigating the influence of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.

INTRODUCTIONTobacco smoking is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Despite implementation of some tobacco control measures, youth continue to initiate smoking. This narrative review outlines how tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) may influence smoking attitudes and uptake among youth in the region.METHODSNine electronic databases were searched on EBSCOhost to identify studies published up until December 2019. All studies published in English that investigated youth smoking and TAPS in ASEAN countries were included. Thematic analysis was used to investigate the influence of TAPS on youth smoking.RESULTSThirty-seven studies were identified. This research showed that youth were exposed and receptive to tobacco advertising, which may contribute to positive attitudes towards tobacco brands and smoking. Studies also demonstrated that youth were exposed to point-of-sale (POS) advertisements or promotions and individual sales promotions. However, little research has explored how these strategies influence attitudes and consumption behaviors among youth, or, how online advertising and cigarette packet branding may influence youth smoking.CONCLUSIONSYouth in ASEAN countries continue to be exposed to TAPS, particularly through POS advertisements or promotions and individual sales promotions. There is also cause for concern about ‘below-the-line’ advertising and the increasing role of cigarette packaging as a promotional tool. These findings support calls for all ASEAN countries to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), introduce comprehensive bans on all forms of tobacco advertising, including POS advertising and cigarette pack displays, and implement plain packaging legislation for tobacco products.

Self-reported exposure of Indonesian adolescents to online and offline tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS)

ObjectivesTo quantify tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS), self-reported exposure from online and offline platforms among adolescents in Indonesia.MethodsA cross-sectional school-based survey was conducted in 2017. In total, 2820 students...

Awareness of Marketing of Heated Tobacco Products and Cigarettes and Support for Tobacco Marketing Restrictions in Japan: Findings from the 2018 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Japan Survey.

Japan is one of the world’s largest cigarette markets and the top heated tobacco product (HTP) market. No forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) are banned under national law, although the industry has some voluntary TAPS restrictions. This study examines Japanese tobacco users’ self-reported exposure to cigarette and HTP marketing through eight channels, as well as their support for TAPS bans. Data are from the 2018 ITC Japan Survey, a cohort survey of adult exclusive cigarette smokers (n = 3288), exclusive HTP users (n = 164), HTP-cigarette dual users (n = 549), and non-users (n = 614). Measures of overall average exposure to the eight channels of cigarette and HTP advertising were constructed to examine differences in exposure across user groups and products. Dual users reported the highest exposure to cigarette and HTP advertising. Tobacco users (those who used cigarettes, HTPs, or both) reported higher average exposure to HTP compared to cigarette advertising, however non-users reported higher average exposure to cigarette compared to HTP advertising. Retail stores where tobacco or HTPs are sold were the most prevalent channel for HTP and cigarette advertising, reported by 30–43% of non-users to 66–71% of dual users. Non-users reported similar exposure to cigarette advertising via television and newspapers/magazines as cigarette smokers and dual users; however, advertising via websites/social media was lower among non-users and HTP users than among cigarette smokers and dual users (p < 0.05). Most respondents supported a ban on cigarette (54%) and HTP (60%) product displays in stores, and cigarette advertising in stores (58%).