FDA’s new anti-smoking campaign uses hip-hop to target youth

Because African-American and Hispanic youth are both underserved by general anti-tobacco ad campaigns – as well as at high risk for tobacco use – the FDA launched its first ever public awareness media campaign aimed specifically at multicultural youth identifying with the “hip-hop peer crowd”.

Government health officials are betting they can adapt the sounds, style and swagger of hip-hop culture to discourage young African Americans, Hispanics and other minority youths from using tobacco.

The agency released statements on Tuesday, according to CBS News, which revealed that $128 million has been invested into the anti-smoking campaign for which a hip hop group by the name of Fresh Empire will be in the forefront. The ads will air nationally for the first time in conjunction with the 2015 BET Hip-Hop Awards on October 13.

“I reject anything including tobacco that tries to control me”, one teenager after another says in one of the videos.

“It is vital to reduce the number of youth who become regular smokers to improve the health of the nation for this and future generations”, said Jonca Bull, MD, FDA assistant commissioner for minority health in a press briefing. It also wants the ads to reflect that hip hop ideals like “being authentic, powerful, confident, fashionable, creative and trendsetting” mean staying away from tobacco.

Yesterday the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially announced their new anti-smoking campaign. “The “Fresh Empire” campaign will help reach teens at a key point in their lives when experimenting with smoking can lead to addiction”. The ad concludes with the tagline, “keep it fresh, live tobacco free”.

Tobacco companies are footing the bill for the campaigns through fees charged by the FDA under a 2009 law that gave the agency authority over certain aspects of the tobacco industry.

Tobacco use is nearly always initiated during adolescence – close to 90 percent of established adult smokers smoked their first cigarette by age 18 – making early intervention critical.

“Fresh Empire” marks the second in a series of efforts by the FDA to educate young people about the dangers of tobacco use, from rural kids to gay teens. However, he noted that FDA is moving through the rulemaking process to bring e-cigarettes under FDA’s purview, and that the research process for a youth prevention campaign specific to e-cigarettes has begun.