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Social Marketers in the Drivers Seat: Motorsport Sponsorship as a Vehicle for Tobacco Prevention

New Survey Finds One in Three Sports Fans Smoke, Five Out of Six Smoke While Watching Sports

Sponsorship Overview

Realizing a problem of tobacco use with motorsports fans, the Coalition for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee (CHART) worked with Alliance Sport Marketing to create a partnership with motorsports venues in rural counties in Tennessee for 2010.

Nine racetracks across the state were included in the sponsorship, which provided season long premium signage opportunities, public address announcements, and souvenir program advertisements.

According to a study in California, race track fans are 30% more likely to smoke than the average person (Tobacco-Free Challenge Project, 1992, Social Marketers in the Drivers Seat), making motorsports venues a prime opportunity for tobacco control programs. 

"For years, tobacco industry advertisements were prominently displayed during sporting events, circumventing the federal ban on tobacco advertising on television," said Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, Legacy's president and CEO (New Survey Finds One in Three Sports Fans Smoke, Five Out of Six Smoke While Watching Sports). 

Years of tobacco advertisements at these venues has led to an increase of tobacco use, which is why tobacco control programs are finding success in the same area.