The relationship between tobacco marketing, beliefs about smoking, and intention to quit

Cigarette smoking continues to remain a public health concern in the United States. One of the single most important contributing factors towards the initiation and maintenance of smoking is the presence of tobacco marketing. Even with the many restrictions placed on the marketing of tobacco products, the tobacco industry continues to spend billions of dollars every year in advertising and promotional activities through channels that do not fall under the purview of the restrictions. Understanding the influence of tobacco marketing on attitudes and beliefs about smoking in the adult population and how these attitudes and beliefs in turn affect intentions to quit would go a long way towards motivating greater cessation rates among adult smokers. The present study examines the effect of exposure to tobacco marketing activities on smokers' attitudes and beliefs about smoking, and how these attitudes and beliefs act as mediators in the relationship between exposure to tobacco marketing and smokers' intent to quit smoking. For the empirical analysis, this study draws on a national dataset of smokers aged 18-64 years with the time period for the data used in the study ranging from years 2002-2006. Linear and non-linear regression models were used to estimate the relationships between exposure to tobacco marketing, altitudes and beliefs about smoking and intent to quit. It was found that exposure to some of the marketing channels resulted in a more positive beliefs about smoking as well as the perception that smoking is socially acceptable. Exposure to marketing also resulted in decreased likelihood of intent to quit. Findings from this study can serve as a foundation for future analyses that examine the effect of tobacco marketing on adult smokers' perceptions, attitudes and beliefs about smoking. Understanding how pro-tobacco marketing serves as a strong influence on attitudes and beliefs by normalizing smoking behavior, by diminishing perceptions of health risks and by subtly reinforcing the message that cigarette smoking affords benefits such as stress reduction and weight control, is important in order to grasp the pathways through which exposure to marketing affects intent to quit.