Youth Access to Tobacco Promotion on Facebook

This study examined the presence and nature of tobacco product promotion on Facebook. Tobacco use among youth remains an important public health problem. Through a content analysis, researchers found the presence of hundreds of pages promoting tobacco brands and products on Facebook. Tobacco companies are embracing social media to advertise and promote their products. While there is legislation limiting youth access to tobacco advertising in other media channels, such as print and television, Facebook permits users, to become “brand advocates,” by becoming a "fan" or "liking" a particular product or service, without restriction. The results of the content analysis raises the question of Facebook's obligations to make sure that all fan pages are “official” and to ensure that its own regulations as well as laws related to marketing tobacco products to minors are followed. For example, cigarettes sold in the U.S. are required to have a Surgeon General's warning; tobacco advertising requires this as well. However, fan pages for branded tobacco products on Facebook carry no Surgeon General's warning at all. The study led to a campaign by a team of public health students in the School of Public Health and Health Services at The George Washington University with the support of the Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association, Campaign Digital, and other organizations to challenge Facebook to restrict access to tobacco pages. The Smoke Free Facebook campaign is asking Facebook to establish a clear policy prohibiting the promotion of tobacco products and to restrict youth access to branded tobacco pages.