Exposure to Multimedia Tobacco Marketing and Product Use Among Youth: A Longitudinal Analysis

Introduction:
This text reports on a longitudinal study examining the relationship between exposure to direct-to-consumer tobacco marketing activities, such as coupons and online marketing, and tobacco product use among youth. The study uses data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study.

Key Points:

* The study found that youth who received tobacco coupons or engaged with online tobacco marketing were more likely to use tobacco products.
* Repeated exposure to these marketing activities was associated with increased likelihood of tobacco product use.
* Coupon receipt and online engagement were independently associated with cigarette, e-cigarette, cigar, smokeless tobacco, and hookah use.
* The study suggests that current regulations related to tobacco marketing do not adequately protect youth, particularly for cigars, e-cigarettes, and hookah.
* Potential policy interventions to protect youth include prohibiting the redemption of tobacco discount coupons at the point of sale, strengthening age verification on tobacco company websites, and increasing enforcement of violations of youth access provisions online.

Main Message:
The study highlights the need for more robust enforcement of regulations related to tobacco marketing to protect youth from exposure to direct-to-consumer tobacco marketing activities. The findings suggest that current regulations do not adequately protect youth, and that policy interventions are necessary to prevent tobacco use among this population. The study emphasizes the importance of expanding regulations to include cigars, e-cigarettes, and hookah. Overall, the text sends a clear message about the need for stronger regulations and enforcement to protect youth from tobacco marketing and prevent tobacco use.

Choi, Kelvin, Shyanika W Rose, Yitong Zhou, Basmah Rahman, and Elizabeth Hair. “Exposure to Multimedia Tobacco Marketing and Product Use Among Youth: A Longitudinal Analysis.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research 22, no. 6 (May 26, 2020): 1036–40. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntz096.