PRINTER'S NO. 2017
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
132
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY KIRKLAND, KENYATTA, SANCHEZ, FREEMAN, KINSEY,
SCHLOSSBERG, HILL-EVANS, CIRESI, HOHENSTEIN AND HOWARD,
AUGUST 11, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, AUGUST 11, 2021
A RESOLUTION
Condemning tobacco companies' practice of targeted advertising
in low-income communities.
WHEREAS, Researchers estimate that 17.7% of adults in the
United States, or 58.1 million individuals, used tobacco
products in 2019; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 45.9 million individuals reported
smoking cigarettes in 2019, making cigarettes the most widely
used tobacco product in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Tobacco use among adults living below the Federal
poverty level (FPL) is considerably higher than among adults
living at or above the FPL; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 40% of adults in the United States
living below the FPL used tobacco products in 2017; and
WHEREAS, Tobacco use among adults decreases as they move
farther from poverty, as less than one-fourth of adults who earn
200% or more above the FPL reportedly used tobacco products in
2017; and
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WHEREAS, There is a long and documented history of tobacco
companies utilizing targeted advertising in low-income
communities; and
WHEREAS, At different times over the past 60 years, tobacco
companies have attempted to appeal to low-income consumers by
handing out free cigarettes to children in public housing
developments and issuing tobacco coupons with food stamps; and
WHEREAS, Tobacco companies have historically targeted low-
income women through the distribution of discount coupons,
point-of-sale discounts, direct-mail coupons and development of
brands that are appealing to low-income women; and
WHEREAS, Research shows that there is a higher density of
tobacco retailers in low-income communities when compared to
other communities; and
WHEREAS, Storefront advertisements for tobacco products in
low-income communities tend to be larger, promote methanol
products, have a lower advertised price and are featured within
1,000 feet of a school; and
WHEREAS, The higher prevalence of tobacco use among adults
below the FPL disproportionately affects the health of low-
income communities; and
WHEREAS, Individuals living in low-income communities usually
have the least information available about the health hazards of
smoking, the fewest resources and social supports and often have
the least access to services to help them quit smoking; and
WHEREAS, Lower-income cigarette smokers suffer more from
diseases caused by smoking than smokers with higher incomes; and
WHEREAS, Populations in the most socioeconomically deprived
groups have a higher risk for lung cancer than the general
population; and
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WHEREAS, Second-hand smoke exposure is higher among
individuals living below the FPL and individuals with less
education; and
WHEREAS, Adults who live below the FPL often have less
success when attempting to quit smoking cigarettes compared to
adults who live at or above the FPL; and
WHEREAS, Tobacco companies' targeted advertising in low-
income communities has likely contributed to the higher use of
cigarettes and other tobacco products in low-income communities;
and
WHEREAS, Tobacco companies' targeted advertising in low-
income communities may make it more difficult for low-income
individuals to quit smoking cigarettes and quit using other
tobacco products; and
WHEREAS, While marketing for any product includes
advertisements based on demographics, tobacco companies'
targeted advertising in low-income communities has contributed
toward significant health disparities that further impact
communities already hindered by social and economic inequality;
and
WHEREAS, The World Health Organization has found that tobacco
use and poverty are inextricably linked worldwide; and
WHEREAS, Several studies have shown that, in the poorest
households in many low-income countries, spending on tobacco
products often represents more than 10% of total household
expenditure; and
WHEREAS, The practice of targeting low-income communities
with tobacco advertisements has been detrimental to the overall
health and well-being of those communities; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives condemn tobacco
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companies' practice of targeted advertising in low-income
communities; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives support
initiatives to educate low-income Pennsylvanians on the health
risks associated with tobacco use and encourage the utilization
of public and private resources to assist individuals seeking to
quit tobacco use.
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