Tobacco industry denormalization

Tobacco industry denormalization is defined as educating the public about the tobacco industry's deceptive practices and the industry's role in the tobacco epidemic. It is the opposite of tobacco industry normalization, in which the industry engaged for decades to assure its products are part of the fabric of society.

Tobacco industry normalization has long been conducted through corporate activities like financing political parties, sponsoring arts and sporting events, placing tobacco executives on boards of other businesses, funding medical research, supporting ethnic minorities by funding their coalitions and business groups, etc. The success of tobacco industry normalization has also been reflected in, for example, cigarette lighters and ashtrays being built into motor vehicles, the placement of ashtrays on restaurant tables, etc.

Tobacco industry denormalization, or TID, is a public health strategy aimed at reducing tobacco use. It is carried out by alerting the public the tobacco industry’s status as a vector of disease and its role in developing and perpetuating the tobacco epidemic. Tobacco industry denormalization reverses the process of industry normalization promoted by cigarette manufacturers over decades. TID aims to show the public why, despite the fact that tobacco is a legal product, the tobacco industry and its behaviors fall outside the norms of behavior of legitimate business.

How it works
Tobacco industry denormalization campaigns usually point out negative behaviors of the tobacco industry, such as manipulative or unethical activities in which the tobacco industry has engaged. The goal is to educate both smokers and non-smokers alike about the motives and tactics of the tobacco industry, and bring salience to the issue of tobacco and its effects upon society. Tobacco industry denormalization campaigns reduce the social acceptability of smoking by highlighting the tobacco industry's overt attempts to increase social acceptability of smoking.

External resources

 * UCSF study shows attitudes toward tobacco industry linked to smoking behavior, Press release. May 6, 2009.