Children and adolescents are the easiest targets for tobacco companies. Tobacco companies have found ways to avoid restrictions and regulations implemented by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although tobacco companies claim that their forms of advertising do not influence children and adolescents, their advertising techniques and icons clearly have a huge effect on young audiences. Some people may wonder why there are restrictions on tobacco advertising, and others will give facts to explain why. . The FDA believes that tobacco companies target their products to minors, although tobacco companies deny otherwise, but they say their target audience is 18 to 21 years old. Although these are the age groups they hope to target, other age groups are also being targeted. . These age groups are children under three years old. In the article Smooth Sell by Susan Cohen, Tye, a man who earned an MBA in 1985 from Stanford University, was driving through South San Francisco with his 5-year-old daughter when she spotted a Marlboro billboard that was so exciting. » she began to shout with joy. He explains: "She was jumping up and down and saying, 'Look, Dad, at the horses!' ” as they passed the brilliant image of galloping hooves splashing a stream. Tye says he was shocked to realize that, whether Philip Morris wanted it or not, his images were reaching children (Cohen). Children were attracted to images provided by tobacco companies to promote their products. Due to the images reaching young audiences, the ad was banned from television and radio broadcasting. Additionally, since young children were introduced and exposed to tobacco advertising, children under the age...... middle of paper ...... integrate into a community, a group or gang, escape or relax, feel great among other peers, relieve boredom and give personal enthusiasm, rebel and become violent without fear, experiment out of curiosity and, most obviously, peer pressure. These are the excuses that tobacco companies give people when they claim that their advertising does not reach teenagers, just 18 years old and over. No teenagers one, two or three years younger who have the same understanding as an 18 year old when it comes to cigarettes. If tobacco companies don't like what the FDA does to their businesses, like gaining the right to impose restrictions and regulations on their products, then why do they need icons to make money? The reason is that tobacco companies claim they need advertising icons like The Marlboro Man and Joe Camel to replace smokers who quit or die..