Three Ways That Cigarette Ads Hook Kids Essay Example for Free

Three Ways That Cigarette Ads Hook Kids Essay Cigarette smoking is prevalent among kids and teens. Tobacco companies invest billions of dollars every year to get children and teens to use tobacco. They target children in their advertisements to get them addicted on cigarettes at an early age. The cigarette companies use many tactics to engage youth: advertising through popular medias such as magazines, television and websites, by creating scenarios that relate to kids and by using youth-targeted flavors in their tobacco. Cigarette smoking in the movies and on television is portrayed as thrilling, fun, sexy and trendy. When smoking is viewed as normal, children tend to adopt the lifestyle. Recent marketing campaigns for cigarettes seem to have attracted the interest of teens. The ads which are featured in magazines such as, Cosmopolitan, Vogue and Glamour were a hit with girls in their early teens. Special promotional giveaways such as berry-flavored lip balm, purses, cell phone, and wristbands to lure them. Secondly, cigarette advertisement creates scenarios that relate to kids. For young girls, they have beautiful women making girls think if they smoke they will be beautiful. Likewise, they make boys think if they smoke they will get beautiful girls. The people in the ads are relaxing and having a good time. They seem to be confident and popular. These are things children and teens want. Children assume that smoking will help them get these things. Finally  tobacco companies use pictures or candy, and fruit-flavored cigarettes to appeal to youth. These sweet flavorings make the tobacco taste better to children making them easy target for early addiction. The strategies employed by tobacco companies through effective advertising are working. Kids are particularly vulnerable to the highly addictive nature of tobacco.