Tobacco in Internet Blog: A Call for Urgent Action under the FCTC

Abstract

Despite the efforts across the world by the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to curb tobacco use, public health risks posed by tobacco have still existed. An important factor in the upward trend in tobacco epidemic has been the aggressive and widespread marketing, advertising, and promotional practices of the tobacco companies. Tobacco industry naturally sought new venue for the marketing activities, and internet has been selected as an alternative marketing venue. However, despite a growing awareness of the availability of tobacco products on the internet, particularly on blogs, the extent to which tobacco firms actually attempt to market their products on internet blogs is unknown. Thus, this research examines Korea’s blogs to find out whether the tobacco industry involves in tobacco marketing, and what kinds of information related tobacco there are on blogs. To find blogs related tobacco marketing, the research selected keywords searching terms, including ‘cigarette review’, ‘cigarette recommendation’, and ‘cigarette marketing’, and obtained and analysed total of 308 blogs. There was no clear evidence of tobacco companies’ involvement on tobacco-related blogs. Cigarette review blogs played roles as similar as tobacco marketing by showing tobacco products’ fancy image and detailed information, such as products’ taste, flavour, and design. Entertainers’ and movie stars’ smoking images were shown commonly in blogs, and their smoking behaviour was well accepted and glorified. Blogs are used to advertise imported cigarette sale websites, and duty-free cigarettes are sold to other countries through internet blogs. All the blogs analysed for this research not only does not show any warning massages related smoking and tobacco products, but also does not employ ‘age verification warning system’ to protect youths from tobacco-related blogs. Based on Article 13.4 of the FCTC, tobacco related blogs as a tobacco marketing venue should be carefully monitored and controlled.