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Seeing past smokeless tobacco advertising and promotion
The makers of smokeless tobacco spend a lot of money to advertise and promote their products because the more people who use smokeless tobacco and the more smokeless tobacco each person uses, the more money they make. Promotional strategies, including free sampling, sponsorships, and coupons, are a large part of advertising. In 2001, $219 million was spent to advertise moist and dry snuff and about $18 million was spent to advertise chewing tobacco. 7 (It's the tobacco companies' job to get you to use smokeless tobacco and keep on using it.) A Federal Trade Commission Report released in 2003, shows that in 2001 smokeless tobacco advertising in magazines increased to a record high of $21.96 million. 7 The spending for distribution of free samples of smokeless tobacco products also reached a record high of $17.89 million in 2001.7
Smokeless tobacco companies have used many methods to get people to use their products. Here's some of the ways they advertise:
- give away free samples and gifts
- show how smokeless tobacco users are "independent," "macho men," "take risks," are "cool," and "enjoy life" -- making your think that if you use their products, you'll be like the people in the ads
- show you how to use "starter" packs of dip in order to make it easy for you to use it
- make "starter" packs with less nicotine and add flavorings such as mint and cherry, so that it's not as strong or as bad tasting as full-strength smokeless tobacco to get you used to it
- offer"pouches" that are packets of smokeless tobacco so you won't get a lot of loose tobacco or "float" in your mouth making it appear cleaner than loose smokeless tobacco
- offer clothing and other stuff for sale
- say it's an alternative to smoking -- implying that it's safe -- even by naming it "smokeless" implies safety
- sponsor events such as rodeos and car races implying that smokeless tobacco can make you a better athlete or you can be like the rodeo or car racing star if you use smokeless tobacco
- sponsor music concerts
Once you know what the smokeless tobacco advertisers do to try to get you to start using smokeless tobacco, you can resist them! Advertisers want you to believe what they are saying so you will buy and use their products.
| Myths and Truths about Smokeless Tobacco |
| Myth: |
Smokeless tobacco is a safe alternative to cigarettes. |
| Truth: |
Just because there is no smoke, doesn't mean that smokeless tobacco is safe. Smokeless tobacco can cause cancer and a whole bunch of other bad health effects. |
| Myth: |
Smokeless tobacco makes you a better athlete. |
| Truth: |
No way. You may feel like you can perform better in sports, but you don't because you can't. Studies have shown that athletes who use smokeless tobacco don't play better or move faster. |
| Myth: |
You can use a little smokeless tobacco and not get hooked. |
| Truth: |
Even a little smokeless tobacco has enough nicotine in it to get you addicted if you keep using it. Don't be fooled by thinking you can use just a little and not get addicted. |
| Myth: |
Because baseball players and other sports figures use smokeless tobacco, it's OK for you to use it, too. |
| Truth: |
The baseball players who use smokeless tobacco say they want to quit, but they're hooked. They didn't know when they started using smokeless tobacco that they wouldn't be able to quit or that using smokeless tobacco is bad for your health. |
| Myth: |
Since most people use smokeless tobacco and other tobacco, you might as well too. |
| Truth: |
Actually, most people do not use tobacco but kids tend to think more people use tobacco than actually do. When you see so much advertising, smokeless tobacco for sale on the store counters, a lot of people who use smokeless tobacco, you may think most people use it but they don't. |
| Myth: |
Since smokeless tobacco is sold in stores in the United States where kids shop and in areas where kids go, kids can buy smokeless tobacco. |
| Truth: |
It is illegal to sell smokeless tobacco or any other kind of tobacco, including cigarettes and cigars to anyone under the age of 18. The Food and Drug Administration requires that sellers of tobacco ask for identification that includes the birthdate and picture of the person trying to buy tobacco to make sure they are not selling to people under 18 years. |
| Myth: |
Even if you use smokeless tobacco, you can quit any time you want. |
| Truth: |
Kids overrate their ability to be able to quit. The truth is that if you're hooked, it isn't easy to quit. But you can do it! |
Don't Start—You've Got the Power!
By being aware of the myths and truths about smokeless tobacco, and the truth about smokeless tobacco advertising, you have the power to not start using smokeless tobacco!
When you become addicted to smokeless tobacco you can feel like you've lost your power over the choice of whether or not to use it. Smokeless tobacco contains the same addictive chemical as cigarettes: nicotine. When you are addicted to a drug, like the nicotine in tobacco, you continue to use it even though you know it is causing you harm. This means that you may plan to only use smokeless tobacco occasionally or for a short while, but when you become addicted you may not be able to stop when you want to. The best thing to do is to never start using smokeless tobacco. You may see your friends, relatives, and other kids using smokeless tobacco or they may ask you to try it with them. Kids don't think anything bad will happen to them because they are young and feel like nothing can hurt them. It's hard to imagine that you may some day get cancer from using smokeless tobacco today.
Sports and other events
Baseball -- It's true that about 35 to 40% of major league baseball players use smokeless tobacco.11 But most of them want to kick the habit. For most players, health concerns are the main reason they want to quit. Others want to quit for their families. And some have made quitting a personal challenge.
Baseball players have been using smokeless tobacco since the mid-1800's. At first they used smokeless tobacco to help keep their mouths wet on the dry, dusty fields. Eventually using smokeless tobacco was "the thing to do." Although more baseball players smoked cigarettes than used smokeless tobacco in the 1950's, they started going back to smokeless tobacco in the 1970's when people learned about the dangers of smoking cigarettes. In 1990, Major League Baseball® issued a report on the hazards of smokeless tobacco and started efforts to help players stay off smokeless tobacco or quit using smokeless tobacco. Since then, efforts have continued with many baseball players helping educate young baseball players about the dangers of smokeless tobacco.
It's estimated that 40-50% or minor league baseball players use smokeless tobacco. 11 In 1991, minor league baseball banned the use of smokeless tobacco at the rookie level and in 1993 extended the ban throughout all of minor leagues.
http://www.health.org/newsroom/rep/68.htm
College sports -- In 1994, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) banned the use of all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco, for coaches, game officials and student-athletes in all sports during practice and competition. A student-athlete who uses tobacco products during practice or competition is automatically disqualified for the remainder of that practice or game.
Rodeos, Car Racing and Music Concerts -- Some smokeless tobacco manufacturers sponsor events as a way tie smokeless tobacco with images such as rodeos, car racing and music concerts. It is another type of promotion to get you use smokeless tobacco.
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