🚬 An experimental study involving more than 4,000 Brazilian adults shows that exposure to a video lasting just three minutes—featuring corporate social responsibility messages from a fictional tobacco company—was sufficient to improve the company’s image and reduce perceptions of the harm caused by cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
The effect was even stronger among women and nonsmokers. Although there was no direct impact on support for tobacco control policies, the results indicate that this type of message can mislead consumers and undermine public health efforts, replicating classic tobacco advertising strategies.
⚠️ The study reinforces the importance of strictly regulating these initiatives in accordance with the guidelines of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.