Tobacco companies target U.S. immigrants

Tobacco companies have engaged in three distinct marketing practices aimed at gaining U.S. immigrants as customers, according to an analysis of major tobacco industry documents.

Researchers studied publicly available documents from five major U.S. tobacco firms – American Tobacco, Brown and Williamson, Lorillard, Phillip Morris and R.J. Reynolds – posted on Web sites. The documents in question covered the period of 1970-2003 and showed tobacco companies went after Asian and Hispanic immigrants in particular by launching geographically based marketing directed at immigrant communities, promoting assimilation into U.S. culture and exploring marketing strategies that would draw on immigrants’ strong ties to their native land.

The study’s authors suggest more in-depth research into the issue and urge public health advocates to launch their own counter-marketing strategies aimed at highlighting the devastating health effects of smoking.