Learning Objectives: Describe social smoking as a phenomenon and why it has potential to impact both the way society views occasional smoking and future smoking and prevalence patterns. Assess sociodemographic factors and tobacco-related attitudes associated with social smokers. Describe how the tobacco industry encourages smoking among young adults (age 18-24) through its marketing strategies.
Abstract: Presenters will offer insight into the social smoking phenomenon and how the tobacco industry encourages the trend.
The social smoking dynamic is fueled by the Tobacco Industry, which mythologizes the “social benefits” of smoking through marketing. Presenters will demonstrate how tobacco marketing encourages teenage starters and solidifies addiction among young adults. Tobacco marketers capitalize on the life changes and stresses young adults face (e.g., going to college, bars and/or starting jobs, military service) to promote regular smoking and increased consumption. They target environments frequented by young adults, and attempt to associate smoking with social and leisure activities, including music, movies, sports, and parties. Attacks on the social acceptability of smoking seriously threaten the tobacco industry.
Social smoking has the potential to change societal norms and impact future patterns of adult prevalence and consumption. Although a significant proportion of California’s smokers smoke socially, they do not self-identify as smokers. As such, these smokers do not find the health consequences associated with smoking to be personally relevant. Qualitative research data provides insight into the minds of social smokers including how they rationalize the habit and the thought processes behind their discounting of health risks.
The presentation will also include a quantitative assessment of the sociodemographic factors and tobacco-related attitudes associated with social smokers, emphasizing how these factors differ by age. Results will be put into context with prior research, including qualitative research findings to help further define messages and communication tactics that resonate with social smokers as a target audience.
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