Industry Influence
Sources: Stanford Research Into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising,16 & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention17
Industries and street dealers that sell alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, other drugs, and/or vape devices know that teens who get hooked early, become life-long sources of profit. For this reason, teens and young adults are often targeted for advertising and marketing of substances with addiction potential.
What role does industry play in teen substance use?
Industries that sell alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and vaping products, profit from consumers who use their products daily or near daily.
In fact, the Pareto principle states that 80% of profits are derived from the top 20% of consumers. When the product has addiction potential, the top 10-20% of consumers most often represent those who have a substance use disorder. For this reason, these industries are sometimes called addiction-for-profit industries.
These industries know that the teen brain is more susceptible to addiction, thus products are often designed to appeal to young people, who will then become lifelong customers. These include products that are sweet, cheap, and easy to disguise or hide.
Key advertising and marketing tactics include making their products seem “healthy”, “cool”, and “fun” while denying the science that shows the significant risks to health and safety.