SNAPT! DOCUMENTING TOBACCO INDUSTRY TACTICS AROUND MUMBAI'S SCHOOLS CONDUCTED BY: CONTENTS 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 MARKETING TOBACCO TO KIDS 1 3 MARKETING AROUND SCHOOLS 1 5 LEGISLATING TOBACCO 1 7 METHODS 1 9 RESULTS OVERVIEW 21 ADVERTISING 25 FLAVOURED CIGARETTE ADS 29 AD IMAGERY AND MESSAGING 33 PRICE MARKETING 37 NON­TRADITIONAL PAGE ADVERTISING 36 43 PRODUCT POSITIONING 45 PRODUCT PACKAGING 47 SMOKELESS TOBACCO 51 SURROGATE PRODUCTS 53 EMERGING PRODUCTS 55 CONCLUSIONS 61 REFERENCES SNAPT! 2016 PAGE PAGE 32 34 PAGE 22 PAGE 48 PAGE 36 PAGE 17 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY India is experiencing an impressionable and price­ epidemic of child tobacco use. sensitive youth. Of schools Today, 14.6% of children aged 13 surveyed, 90% of them had at to 15 years report tobacco use.a least one tobaco shop operating Within the next year, an within 100 yards of the school. additional 15% of youth are likely On average, each of the 40 to start using tobacco.a Tobacco schools was surrounded by 9 use patterns are almost shops selling and marketing exclusively developed during the tobacco products. adolescent years. Tobacco companies know that once The report found that the children are hooked, they tobacco industry (driven by ITC become customers for life. and Godfrey Philips) is using carefully calculated marketing To attract children and youth, strategies to reach children tobacco companies use a around Mumbai schools. The combination of tactics including tobacco industry uses many advertisement, promotion and tactics at the point­of­sale to sponsorship to target kids where promote tobacco sales around they spend their time ­ around Mumbai schools, including: schools. The combined effect of Placing advertising and the tobacco industry's tactics products at children's eye make tobacco appear level and near candy or other acceptable, accessible and child­friendly items. highly desirable. Advertising and selling youth­ In 2015, Salaam Bombay friendly flavoured products. Foundation conducted a survey of tobacco industry marketing Promoting cheap tobacco and promotion tactics around 40 products and advertising the schools in Mumbai. This report availability of loose cigarettes provides a comprehensive look which cost as little as Rs. 1. at the strategies employed by TOBACCO SHOP IN BANDRA, MUMBAI the tobacco industry to market This survey found a significant tobacco to kids around Mumbai number of violations of India's schools. tobacco control law, known as COTPA. Every shop surveyed had This report shows that point­of­ at least one violation. The most sale advertising in the areas common violations included: surrounding schools has become Sales of tobacco products an important final frontier for a within 100 yards of a school tobacco industry looking to market its products to 3 a Vendhan G. (2010) Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) India Fact Sheet. World Health Organization. Accessed from: evidence from Mumbai, India. Tobacco Control: 24:e100­e107 http://www.who.int/fctc/reporting/Annexoneindia.pdf. Accessed on Feb 16, 2016 c World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Guidelines for Implementation of Article 13. b Mistry et al. (2015) Banning Tobacco Sales and advertisements near educational institutions may reduce students’ tobacco use risk: http://www.who.int/fctc/guidelines/adopted/article_13/en/. Accessed on Feb 16, 2016 SNAPT! 2016 The display of tobacco advertisements that include brand names, brand shots or images The display of tobacco advertisements that are larger than permitted Failing to display health warning boards Displaying incorrect health warning boards The results for the survey show that the tobacco industry is aggressively marketing around schools and violating India's tobacco control laws. In order to combat the tobacco industry's efforts to target youth, we urge the Commissioner of Mumbai's Municipal Corporation (BMC) to act immediately to: Remove tobacco advertisements from the point­of­sale and at shops and vendors within 100 yards of schools. Cancel licenses from shops that violate India's tobacco control laws. Hold tobacco companies responsible for the advertisements, promotions TOBACCO SHOP IN BANDRA, MUMBAI and sponsorships of their brands. Two companies, ITC Ltd. Establish a single agency or group and Godfrey Philips India charged with enforing tobacco control laws, particularly Section 6 (a Ltd., account for 93% of and b). Enact a complete ban on direct and all tobacco ads indirect tobacco advertisment, promotion, and sponsorship a Vendhan G. (2010) Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) India Fact Sheet. World Health Organization. Accessed from: evidence from Mumbai, India. Tobacco Control: 24:e100­e107 4 http://www.who.int/fctc/reporting/Annexoneindia.pdf. Accessed on Feb 16, 2016 c World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Guidelines for Implementation of Article 13. b Mistry et al. (2015) Banning Tobacco Sales and advertisements near educational institutions may reduce students’ tobacco use risk: http://www.who.int/fctc/guidelines/adopted/article_13/en/. Accessed on Feb 16, 2016 92% 24% OF FLAVOURED OF ADS WERE ADS INCLUDED FOR FLAVOURED MENTHOL TOBACCO 48% DISPLAYED ADS BELOW THE COUNTER 54% ADVERTISING OF SHOPS HAD ADS MARKETING 1.9 TOBACCO TO ADS WERE FOUND PER KIDS NEAR SHOP SCHOOLS BEAUTIFICATIONS 26% HAD A BELOW 2 SHOPS HAD THE COUNTER GENERAL FAIR FEATURE PRICE ADS 35% OF SHOPS HAD 19% EXTERNAL OF SHOPS FEATURE HAD INTERNAL FEATURE 5 1 Based on packages of smokeless tobacco observed by Salaam Bombay Foundation in 2015 SNAPT! 2016 17% OF POWER WALLS SHOWED HEALTH 27% WARNINGS 58% OF SHOPS HAD OF SHOPS HAD A POWER HANGING WALL DISPLAY PRODUCT 81% POSITIONING OF SHOPS PLACED TOBACCO NEXT MARKETING TO CANDY TOBACCO TO KIDS NEAR SCHOOLS Rs. 1 LOWEST COST FOR PRODUCTS1 2 PRICING SHOPS HAD 18 GENERAL FAIR ADS WERE PRICE ADS FOR LOOSE CIGARETTES 5 TYPES OF ADS EMPHASIZED PRICE 1 Based on packages of smokeless tobacco observed by Salaam Bombay Foundation in 2015 6 2 Vendhan G (2010) Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) India Fact Sheet. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health 7 John RM et al (2010) Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Taxation in India. Paris: International Union Against Organization. Accessed from: http://www.who.int/fctc/reporting/Annexoneindia.pdf. Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. 3 Patel DR (1999) Smoking and Children. Indian J Pediatr; 66(6): 817­824. 8 Arora M et al (2010) Associations Between Tobacco Marketing and Use Among Urban Youth in India. Am J Health 4 National Sample Survey Organization (1998) A note on consumption of tobacco in India. Sarvekshana. 21: 69­100 Behav; 32(3): 283­294 7 5 Reddy KS, Gupta PC (2004) Report on Tobacco Control in India. MHFW, Government of India, New Delhi. 10 Bloomberg News. Altria’s plans for Marlboro in India face ad ban, habit change. Available at: 6 Gajalakshmi V, Peto R, Kanaka TS, Jha P (2003) Smoking and Mortality from Tuberculosis and Other Diseases in India: http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=akUJf2cGshYA&refer=us. Accessed on Feb 10, 2016. Retrospective Study of 43000 Adult Male Deaths and 35000 Controls. Lancet; 362(9383): 507­15 SNAPT! 2016 MARKETING TOBACCO TO KIDS India is currently out of every five deaths to experiencing an epidemic of due to tuberculosis.5,6 The tobacco use. Among youth direct and indirect costs of aged 13 to 15 years, 14.6% premature mortality from are current tobacco users.2 tobacco has been An additional 5,500 estimated at Rs 300 billion (or adolescents try tobacco in $6.6 billion USD) in India in India for the first time every 2002­2003.7 day.3 Children and youth in India, particularly those Public health researchers between the ages of 15 and and policy advocates have 24 years, are vulnerable to suggested that the diversity tobacco initiation – the of tobacco products majority of tobacco users available in India creates report initiation before additional challenges for turning 18 and some begin tobacco control advocates.8 their habit before the age of In addition to cigarettes, the 10.4 Indian market includes numerous indigenous forms Tobacco places a of smoked and smokeless tremendous social and tobacco (including bidi, economic burden on India. gutkha, khaini, mawa and Each year, one in six of all misheri).9,10 global tobacco­related deaths occur in the country. Significant evidence, Tobacco use is associated including internal tobacco with more than half of the industry communications, deaths caused by has documented decades cardiovascular disease, of the industry’s intentional cancers and chronic lung marketing of tobacco diseases in India. Tobacco products to children and use is associated with two youth. 2 Vendhan G (2010) Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) India Fact Sheet. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health 7 John RM et al (2010) Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Taxation in India. Paris: International Union Against Organization. Accessed from: http://www.who.int/fctc/reporting/Annexoneindia.pdf. Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. 3 Patel DR (1999) Smoking and Children. Indian J Pediatr; 66(6): 817­824. 8 Arora M et al (2010) Associations Between Tobacco Marketing and Use Among Urban Youth in India. Am J Health 4 National Sample Survey Organization (1998) A note on consumption of tobacco in India. Sarvekshana. 21: 69­100 Behav; 32(3): 283­294 5 Reddy KS, Gupta PC (2004) Report on Tobacco Control in India. MHFW, Government of India, New Delhi. 10 Bloomberg News. Altria’s plans for Marlboro in India face ad ban, habit change. Available at: 8 6 Gajalakshmi V, Peto R, Kanaka TS, Jha P (2003) Smoking and Mortality from Tuberculosis and Other Diseases in India: http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=akUJf2cGshYA&refer=us. Accessed on Feb 10, 2016. Retrospective Study of 43000 Adult Male Deaths and 35000 Controls. Lancet; 362(9383): 507­15 Globally, tobacco industry marketing to children and youth includes advertising, promotions and sponsorship under the umbrella of marketing communications and strategies.