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Promotion & media

In addition to availability, use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs is influenced by promotion of substance use and abuse in the media. Here, promotion refers to increased consumer exposure to a product through advertisements, discounts, and/or event sponsorship. For example, many alcohol and tobacco companies depict enjoyable use of their product through different promotional methods in order to recruit new users and retain current users, while improving attitudes about overall product use. Environmental prevention strategies can impose restrictions on the promotion of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. Restrictions can limit where advertisements are located, including restrictions in public places, sporting-event sponsorship, the type of media used to display the advertisement, and when the advertisements are viewed. Environmental prevention strategies may also include the use of counter-marketing campaigns or require retailers to display warning posters. There is limited evidence about the relationship between illicit drug-market promotion and illicit drug use but it is likely the relationship is similar to the relationship between promotion and use of legal substances. Mitigating the promotion of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs provides a means of intervention unrelated to substance availability.