ABSTRACT

Despite tobacco manufacturers’ social responsibility claims about switching to less harmful products and strict marketing regulations, smoking is still being heavily promoted in emerging markets. This strategic paradox is highlighted by this research that provides fresh insights into young adult smokers’ exposure and reaction to unrest-ricted tobacco marketing in Vietnam. A survey with 440 responses tested a conceptual model relating the impacts of unregulated tobacco promotion on emotional responses (i.e. pleasure, arousal and dominance – PAD), and subsequent smoking approach beha-viours. This model, tested using partial least square structural equa-tion modelling, proved appropriate and well-explained by most constructs. The results demonstrated significant positive impact of tobacco marketing on young smokers’ emotions, particularly plea-sure and arousal that increased smoking approach behaviours, such as smoking, tobacco purchase intention, seeking tobacco-related information and communicating with others about smoking. The need for more enforced evidence-based marketing regulations is highlighted and future research avenues discussed.