Abstract

Objective: This investigation aims to determine whether persuasive advertising outweighs health warnings and sin taxes to entice students to purchase unhealthy products in two Arabian cities in the Middle Eastern Region, such as Amman, Jordan, and Dubai, UAE. Method: We first expose the participants to audio-visual advertisements of unhealthy goods before asking them to respond to a structured questionnaire. The SEM result indicates that product knowledge and brand expertise significantly increase consumer knowledge of unhealthy products and lure the students into buying them. Results also support that Impulsive buying and materialistic personality traits exacerbate the unhealthy product buying habits of students. Result: In sum, it implies that mandatory health warnings fail when producers can respond with counterbalancing persuasive advertisements. Surprisingly, perceived sin tax policy intervention does not appear to affect purchasing intent - indicating impulsive buying and materialism among students. The result also allows the government to address budgetary constraints by increasing the sin tax. Conclusion: The findings have ramifications for consumer policy, especially in safeguarding children and students. Health advisories prove ineffective when manufacturers can counter them with promotional campaigns. Additionally, levying additional taxes on such items has proven futile. Frequently, regulations' intended objectives diverge from their actual outcomes, as is evident in this scenario. Industries exhibit adaptability in navigating mandatory health warnings through compelling advertising cues.