EFFECTS OF MEDIA ON SMOKING - Essay Example

Usage of tobacco in youth oriented films increased in the 1990’s and it is very common these days mainly in films which are famous with teenagers. However, is it totally a wrong thing to do to attract teenagers. The impact of smoking on the teenagers, shown in movies is mostly negative. The Office of National Drug Control Policy carried out a study in 1999 for 200 famous movies of 1996 & 1999 and found that more than 85% had usage of smoking in them. Dartmouth Medical School also carried out a study which stated that the percentage fluctuated amid 87 % to 91 % in the 25 super hit movies since 1995.

1 As revealed that observed public standards and the main predictors for the usage of drugs and alcohol, it is mainly distressing that 74 % of the leading artists in the super hit movies in the year 1997 to 1998 used to smoke. Advertisements shown by the cigarette companies are appealing for teenagers. Promotions and publicity of tobacco usage by commercials and posters increases the likelihood of teenagers start smoking. Marketing is the use of the media to create clear connections or images of the products, advertisement basically is the mixture of activities designed to increase trade.

There is indeed no consideration of the effect of tobacco marketing on citizens tasking up tobacco.2 Advertisers use various methods to create appeal which is socially unethical in my eye. Advertisements shown by tobacco companies encourage smoking which is wrong. Conversely, studies related to the non smoking people and their introduction to cigarette marketing discloses that nonsmoking teenagers who were aware of or receptive to cigarette advertisements had the very potential to turn into smokers later on.

It has been revealed by the recent researches that cigarette manufacturing organizations are still endorsing ads that indeed have a great impact on the teenagers in comparison to ads relate to anti-smoking. People who smoke are shown as independent individuals who can take their decisions themselves. Federal Trade Commission stated that cigarette manufacturing organizations spend approximately $1.06 billion for the advertisement and promotion of their products. A big portion of this expenditure is spent at retail store level mainly aiming the youth.

Teenagers who are aware of the ads associated to smoking be likely to connect smoking with recognition, relaxation and fame and such connections are powerful in contrast with any of the suspected risks and dangers gathered from anti-smoking advertisements. Tobacco manufacturing organizations mainly aim their product in a designed way making a character who smokes enormously popular and composed through the company’s campaigns.3 Cigarette ads attract the teenagers more than people who are above 30 years of age.

Teenagers mainly fall upon ads of cigarettes in commercials, magazines, posters, artists smoking in movies and also by means of advertising events in restaurants and bars which make them the easy targets of the cigarette manufacturing companies. Studies have pointed out that cigarette ads attract the young adults and teenagers more as compared to persons above 30 years and peer-review studies reveal that tobacco ads affect the teenagers the most. The impact of anti-smoking and quit smoking ads has still been very less on the