Through advertising and promotion, the tobacco industry targets 1.63 million new smokers a year to compensate for those who quit or die.
Tobacco companies deduct the cost of advertising and promotion from their taxes as a business expense, which saves them in excess of $1 billion dollars a year.
In 1997 tobacco companies spent almost $5.7 billion dollars to promote and advertise their products. This represents an increase in spending of almost 16 times since 1970, when advertising on radio and television was banned. While tobacco products have been mass-produced and marketed for decades, it has taken many years for their deadly effects to be scientifically documented. The tobacco industry is the second largest advertiser in the print media, including magazines and newspapers, and the largest advertiser on billboards. Sports Illustrated, a magazine that celebrates athle