Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship
Each year, the tobacco industry spends tens of billions of dollars around the globe on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS). The industry constantly loses customers as many current smokers either die from tobacco-related diseases or quit, and tobacco companies must attract a new generation of tobacco users to survive. As a result, they target massive, sophisticated marketing campaigns to recruit new smokers, often from youth and other vulnerable populations.
Each year, the tobacco industry spends tens of billions of dollars around the globe on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS). The industry constantly loses customers as many current smokers either die from tobacco-related diseases or quit, and tobacco companies must attract a new generation of tobacco users to survive. As a result, they target massive, sophisticated marketing campaigns to recruit new smokers, often from youth and other vulnerable populations.
Big Tobacco's Relentless and Deceptive Marketing
Internal tobacco industry documents reveal that tobacco companies have carefully studied the habits, tastes and desires of their potential customers, often young people, and developed products and marketing campaigns aimed at them.
Tobacco marketing is increasingly focused at the point of sale (POS) and online and includes advertising, promotion (e.g., price discounts and product giveaways), and product displays at locations where tobacco products are sold.
Policy in the U.S.
Tobacco companies continue to target young people and other specific populations in their marketing, which includes social media, store ads and event sponsorships. In 2022, the top U.S. cigarette and smokeless tobacco companies spent nearly $8.6 billion to market their products – over $23 million per day. The large majority of those expenditures (97.2% or $8.3 billion) go to price discounts, point of sale advertising and promotional allowances that make tobacco products cheaper and ensure prime retail space.
Policy Around the World
At least 60 countries have adopted comprehensive national TAPS bans. In response to these bans, the tobacco industry relies more on the tobacco product package and its display to promote products.
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) requires Parties to ban all forms of TAPS, in line with their constitution. Guidelines for implementation make clear that a comprehensive TAPS ban includes a product display ban and the adoption of plain packaging to eliminate the effects of advertising or promotion on packaging.
Tobacco Marketing Works; Why We Need TAPS laws
Tobacco marketing successfully recruits new tobacco users, maintains or increases use among current users, reduces a tobacco user’s willingness to quit, and encourages former users to start using tobacco again.
POS marketing weakens the effectiveness of tobacco control laws and normalizes tobacco products and imagery. POS tobacco ads are particularly effective with youth, familiarizing them with brands and increasing the likelihood that they will use tobacco products.
$23 MILLION
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Fighting Back: Comprehensive TAPS Bans Work
Comprehensive TAPS bans are effective at reducing tobacco use, especially among young people. Partial TAPS bans have little or no effect on smoking prevalence as the industry can find new ways to avoid a partial law and recruit new users.
POS marketing and tobacco product displays are sometimes either explicitly exempted or not included in laws banning TAPS, and they are critical to protecting youth.
Banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is one of the best ways to protect young people from starting smoking as well as reducing tobacco consumption across the entire population.
Last updated July 2, 2026