"Powerwall" advertising of cigarettes targets teens

By Julia Johnston, CanWest News Service
Published: Sunday, April 23, 2006

CALGARY -- A highly visible sales location for tobacco products triggers impulse buying among consumers, including teenage experimenters, students heard at a recent presentation by Action on Smoking and Health.

Also known as powerwalls, the marketing tactic has contributed to the 30 per cent jump in teenage smoking rates in the province in the past year, the group said.

"How can they not be targeting kids when they are displaying a huge, ominous panel of cigarettes at children's eye level at every convenience store across the country?" said executive director Les Hagen at Friday's presentation at Sir John A. Macdonald junior high school in Calgary.

The Truth About Powerwalls presentation was created to raise awareness about the impact of tobacco displays in convenience stores, pharmacies, grocery stores and gas stations on youth smoking rates.

Along with raising awareness, the students were encouraged to take a proactive approach to banning powerwalls in Alberta. About 700 students filled out postcards that will be sent to Alberta Health Minister Iris Evans in an effort to put a stop to powerwall advertising.

"This is an overall effort to increase public awareness in Alberta about powerwalls and also to engage young people in schools in the process of getting powerwalls banned," Hagen said.

Five provinces and two territories have already passed laws to prohibit tobacco displays in stores but Alberta remains the only province without any legislation to control these products.

Robyn Hefferton, campus coordinator for Action on Smoking and Health, gave the junior high students facts on smoking and the influence tobacco displays have on youth.

"You'll almost always find them (powerwalls) at kids' eye level beside the candy, beside the gum, near chips," Hefferton said.

Students Joel Pendergast and Conor Jefferies presented the results of a survey they conducted at 10 neighbouring businesses. The students graded each store's powerwall promotion the average was "D."

"I found out that store clerks are just very protective, they are always worried about losing money," said Jefferies, a Grade 9 student.

The presentation will travel to junior high schools and communities around Alberta over the next few months. Action on Smoking and Health has already visited 24 communities in the last three months.

"I learned so much stuff and saw so much stuff that smoking is not even funny anymore," said Grade 8 student Pendergast.