Tobacco Ads on Instagram: A Loophole for Young Eyes

Study Reveals Underage Users Can Easily Access Tobacco-Related Content

Tobacco companies are finding clever ways to bypass Instagram's rules meant to keep their ads away from young people. A recent study found that underage users could easily access tobacco-related content almost half the time. This is a big deal because Instagram is supposed to block these posts from users under 21.

Key Findings from the Study

• Nearly 1,700 posts from six major tobacco brands were analyzed.
• Many posts didn't follow the rules:
• Most posts lacked age warnings.
• Many didn't disclose if influencers were paid to promote the products.
• Some brands were worse offenders:
• Lucky Strike and Lost Mary were among the worst at following the rules.

A Growing Problem

This isn't just a small issue. Tobacco companies know that young people are active on social media. They use:

• Bright colors
• Fun flavors
• Celebrity endorsements

to make their products seem appealing. The study shows that Instagram's rules aren't strong enough to stop this.

Experts Call for Stricter Enforcement

Experts argue that both Instagram and government agencies need to do more to enforce these rules. They say the current policies are not doing enough to protect young people from seeing tobacco ads. This raises questions about how seriously social media platforms take their responsibility to keep young users safe.