Denormalising tobacco at a Danish music festival

TY - JOUR

T1 - Denormalising tobacco at a Danish music festival

AU - Schjørring, Maja K.

AU - Stage, Maria

AU - Glahn, Andrea S.

AU - Andersen, Susan

AU - Kjaer, Niels T.

AU - Gronbaek, Morten K.

AU - Knudsen, Astrid

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - INTRODUCTION Music festivals and similar arenas are used worldwide by the tobacco industry to promote tobacco to youth and to shape brand image and generate brand recognition1,2. The industry uses subtle tobacco promotion described as ‘belowtheline promotion’, such as handing out free cigarette samples or engaging in tobacco sponsorships3,4. Given the enormous impact of music on youth lifestyle and identity formation, music events are considered efficient arenas for tobacco promotion and marketing1,2. In Denmark, the tobacco advertising ban from 2008 is subject to various exemptions, among others allowing for a ‘neutral placement of tobacco’ at point-of-sale5. This exemption is utilised by the tobacco industry to market and promote tobacco. In spite of the ban on sponsorship, the industry provides festivals with funding and free cigarettes for resale, in exchange for exclusive agreements and promotion of tobacco products. A 2010 study of tobacco use at the largest Danish music festival, Roskilde Festival, found that 9% of neversmokers had consumed tobacco for the first time during the festival while 24% of those who had quit smoking, within the past year, relapsed into tobacco use during the festival6. The festival environment thus presents a great risk for youth smoking initiation and relapse. This article describes the adoption and implementation of tobacco-free initiatives to end tobacco promotion and to denormalise tobacco use at the Danish music festival Strøm.

AB - INTRODUCTION Music festivals and similar arenas are used worldwide by the tobacco industry to promote tobacco to youth and to shape brand image and generate brand recognition1,2. The industry uses subtle tobacco promotion described as ‘belowtheline promotion’, such as handing out free cigarette samples or engaging in tobacco sponsorships3,4. Given the enormous impact of music on youth lifestyle and identity formation, music events are considered efficient arenas for tobacco promotion and marketing1,2. In Denmark, the tobacco advertising ban from 2008 is subject to various exemptions, among others allowing for a ‘neutral placement of tobacco’ at point-of-sale5. This exemption is utilised by the tobacco industry to market and promote tobacco. In spite of the ban on sponsorship, the industry provides festivals with funding and free cigarettes for resale, in exchange for exclusive agreements and promotion of tobacco products. A 2010 study of tobacco use at the largest Danish music festival, Roskilde Festival, found that 9% of neversmokers had consumed tobacco for the first time during the festival while 24% of those who had quit smoking, within the past year, relapsed into tobacco use during the festival6. The festival environment thus presents a great risk for youth smoking initiation and relapse. This article describes the adoption and implementation of tobacco-free initiatives to end tobacco promotion and to denormalise tobacco use at the Danish music festival Strøm.

KW - tobacco industry

KW - advocacy

KW - denormalising

KW - advertising and promotion

KW - youth

U2 - 10.18332/tpc/112672

DO - 10.18332/tpc/112672

M3 - Letter

C2 - 32411898

SN - 2459-3087

VL - 5

JO - Tobacco Prevention and Cessation

JF - Tobacco Prevention and Cessation

M1 - 35

ER -