The tobacco industry has been targeting youth for years by requiring tobacco displays and advertising to be located in the most visible place in convenience stores. Tobacco advertising at the point of sale has proven to be the most effective way to grab the attention of teens and focus that attention on tobacco products.
Tobacco companies aren’t accidentally placing their Viceroy cigarette displays and ads in the most visible places in the store. It also is not a coincidence that adolescents who frequent stores where cigarettes are widely advertised are twice as likely to start smoking. It gives buying tobacco products a sense of normalcy, but should it be normal to buy a product that is likely going to kill you?
If current smoking trends continue, 1 billion people will die in the 21st century from tobacco. Help protect our kids from tobacco marketing in stores by supporting tobacco display bans.