The Impact of Tobacco Ads in Magazines

Tobacco advertising reaches kids …

• Magazine ads for 8 of the top 10 cigarette brands reached at least 70% of kids five or more times in 1999.11
  
  
• Kids are more than twice as likely as adults to recall tobacco advertising. A national telephone survey revealed that while only 23% of adults recalled seeing tobacco advertising the past 2 weeks, 55% of kids recalled seeing the advertising.12
  
  
• In a British Medical Journal study, 95% of 15-16 year olds surveyed were aware of tobacco advertising.13

…and it greatly increases their likelihood of smoking.

• “The conclusion that there is a causal relationship between tobacco marketing and smoking seems unassailable.” – National Cancer Institute14
  
  
• Teens are significantly more likely to smoke due to advertising than they are due to peer pressure.15
  
  
• An estimated 1/3 of adolescent experimentation with smoking can be directly attributed to tobacco advertising and promotional activities. Perhaps this is because tobacco advertising is so attractive to kids: nonsmoking children that have a favorite cigarette ad are two times more likely to begin smoking in the future than those who do not. 16
  
  
• The correlation has been reproduced repeatedly. Adolescents exposed to higher amounts of cigarette print ads are more likely to be smokers and they are more likely to have friends that smoke. Meanwhile, adolescents with low levels of exposure to cigarette print ads are half as likely to smoke than those with high levels of exposure. 17

Yet tobacco companies keep at it…

• Cigarette advertising in magazines with at least 15% youth readerships increased by 30% ($30 million) in the year following the Master Settlement Agreement’s ban on billboard ads.18
  
  
• In 2000, tobacco companies spent $59.6 million in advertising for the most popular youth brands in youth magazines. That year, magazine ads for the three most popular youth brands (Marlboro, Newport, and Camel), reached more than 80% of young people in the U.S. an average of 17 times.19
  
  
  
  
• In 2001, US Smokeless Tobacco (Skoal, Copenhagen) spent $9.4 million advertising in magazines with high youth readership. This is nearly double the amount spent before the Smokeless Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. Nearly half of the company’s overall advertising (before and after the MSA) remains in youth oriented magazines.20

…because they know brand loyalty begins early.

"KOOL’s stake in the 16-25-year-old population segment is such that the value of this audience should be accurately weighed and reflected in current media programs. As a result, all magazines will be reviewed to see how efficiently they reach this group.”

- Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company marketing memo, 1973.



• Among adolescents, the advertisements most likely to be seen, to be liked, and to be viewed as making smoking more appealing, are for the brands most commonly smoked by adolescents, Camel and Marlboro. Over 40% of adolescents feel that Marlboro ads make smoking more appealing, and nearly half feel that Camel ads make smoking more appealing.21
  
  
• Each day, more than 4,000 kids try smoking for the first time, and another 2,000 kids become regular daily smokers. 85% of these youth smokers prefer Marlboro, Camel, and Newport – three of the most heavily advertised brands. 22
  
  

References

11American Legacy Foundation. “Tobacco Brand Advertising to Teens.” May 2001.

12“National telephone survey of 501 kids aged 12 to 17 and 1,012 adults conducted for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (TFK)” International Communications Teen Excel Study. March 2004.

13MacFayden, Linda, et al. “Cross sectional study of young people’s awareness of and involvement with tobacco marketing.” BMJ. March 2001; 332:513-517.

14National Cancer Institute. “Changing Adolescent Smoking Prevalence.” Smoking and Tobacco Control Monograph No.14. NH Pub. No. 02-5086, November 2001.

15Evans, N, et al. “Influence of Tobacco Marketing and Exposure to Smokers on Adolescent Susceptibility to Smoking.” Journal of the National Cancer Institute. October 1995; 87(19): 1538-1545.

16Pierce, John P., et al. “Tobacco industry promotion of cigarettes and adolescent smoking.” JAMA. February 1998; 279(7):511-515.

17Botvin, Gilbert J., et al. “Smoking behavior of adolescents exposed to cigarette advertising.” Public Health Reports: Journal of the US Public Health Service. March-April 1993; 108(2):217-224.

18Turner-Baker, Diane. “Cigarette Advertising Expenditures Before and After Master Settlement Agreement: Preliminary Findings.” Massachusetts Department of Public Health. May 15, 2000.

19King, C and Siegel, M. “The Master Settlement Agreement with the tobacco industry and cigarette advertising in magazines.” New England Journal of Medicine. August 2001; 345(7): 504-511.

20Massachusetts Department of Health. “Smokeless Tobacco Advertising Expenditures Before and After the Smokeless Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.” May 2002.

21Arnett, Jeffrey J. and Terhanian, George. “Adolescents’ responses to cigarette advertisements : links between exposure, liking, and the appeal of smoking.” Tobacco Control. 1998; 7:129-133.

22Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). “Results from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.”

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids' posts tobacco advertising from around the world including magazine and newspaper ads, billboards, store advertising and ,tobacco-branded merchandise. Vie the Gallery of Ads at TobaccoFreeKids.org

Magazines & Periodicals Details (PDF)

Magazines & Periodicals Fact Sheet (Contents of this page as PDF)

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