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 at the Harvard
School of Public Health 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 suggested more
in-depth research into the issue and urged public health advocates to
launch their own counter-marketing strategies aimed at highlighting the
devastating health effects of smoking. [more]
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