"It is important to know as much as possible about teenage smoking patterns and attitudes. Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer . . . 1981 Philip Morris market research report on young smokers. . : . Each day, about 4,000 kids try their first cigarette; and each day another 1,000 other kids under 18 years of age become new regular, daily smokers. Thats 416,000 new underage daily smokers each year. . : . 90 percent of all adult smokers begin while in their teens, or earlier, and nearly two-thirds become regular, daily smokers before they reach the age of 19. . : . The cigarette companies spend more than $15.1 billion each year to promote their deadly products that's more than $41 million spent every day to market cigarettes, and much of that marketing directly reaches and influences kids. . : . More than 6.3 million children under age 18 alive today will eventually die from smoking-related disease, unless current rates are reversed. Source: CDC, State Highlights 2006. . : . 440,000 people die from tobacco-related illnesses every year, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

The Impact of Tobacco Ads in Periodicals

Tobacco Advertising Reaches Young People...

Magazine ads for 8 of the top 10 cigarette brands reached at least 70% of youth 5or more times in 1999

Youth are more than twice as likely to recall tobacco advertising. A national telephone survey revealed that while only 23% of adults recalled seeing tobacco advertising

In a British Medical Journal study, 95% of 15-16 year olds surveyed were aware of tobacco advertising

...and Greatly Increases Their Likelihood of Smoking

”The conclusion that there is a casual relationship between tobacco marketing and smoking seems unassailable.” National Cancer Institute

Teens are significantly more likely to smoke due to advertising than they are due to peer pressure

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 youth: nonsmoking children that have a favorite cigarette ad are two times more likely to begin smoking in the future than those who do not

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

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

In 2000, tobacco companies spent $59.6 million in advertising for the most popular brands among youth in youth magazines. That year, magazine ads for the three most popular youth brands (Marlboro, Newport, and Camel) reached more than 80% of the young people in the U.S. an average of 17 times

In 2001, US Smokeless Tobacco (Skoal, Copenhagen) spent $9.4million 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

...because They Know Brand Loyalty Begins Early

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 ½ feel that camel ads do too

Each day, more than 4,000 young people try smoking for the first time, and another 2,000 become regular daily smokers. 85% of these young smokers prefer Marlboro, Camel, and Newport, three of the most heavily advertised brands

Tobacco Industry Quotes

”Marlboro’s phenomenal growth rate has been attributable in large part to our high market penetration among young smokers...15 to 19 years old...my own data, which includes younger teenagers, shows even higher Marlboro market penetration among 15-17-year-olds.” Philip Morris report, 1975

”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