Online tobacco ads are reaching and influencing teens, with few restrictions to stop them.

Online tobacco ads are reaching and influencing teens, with few restrictions to stop them. While TV has strict rules regarding tobacco commercials, digital campaigns can not only reach young consumers but can retarget them—making ads more effective. A study published in Pediatrics tracked 12-17-year-olds over time, finding that non-smokers who engaged with tobacco ads were 26% more likely to pick up smoking by the end of the study. Those who had already tried tobacco at the beginning of the study were 58% more likely to become frequent users and 29% less likely to try to quit. (Reuters)