More Ads More Tobacco Use
Discouraging and encouraging cigarettes smoking can be influenced by mass media, according to a recent study.
For the first time researchers concluded that tobacco advertising and promotion can increase tobacco use.
Melanie Wakefield, senior scientific editor of the report, The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use, said: “It’s the first report which makes the conclusion that there is a causal relationship between exposure to description of smoking in the movies and youth beginning to smoke”.
She reported also that mass media can change youth attitudes about smoking cigarettes. Mass media also has the power to reduce the chances that children will continue to smoke, and encourage adult cessation.
The report, which took four years to compile, involved expert analysis from 23 authors as well as contribution from numerous other experts, Wakefield said.
The conclusion of this report was made after analyzing more than 1,000 scientific studies on the role of media in encouraging and discouraging tobacco use. The report extended several major conclusions, such as following:
• Media play a key role in creating knowledge, opinions, attitudes and even behaviors among people and within communities.
• The tobacco industry tempts smokers with three themes: tobacco provides satisfaction; the dangers of tobacco shouldn’t provoke, anxiety; and that tobacco is associated with desirable results such as social success.
• A causal relationship exists between tobacco promotion and ads and increased tobacco use.
• Description of smoking is still spreading in movies. It happens in three-quarters or more of contemporary box-office hits. This exposure leads to more youth smoking.
• On the positive side, media campaigns meant to reduce tobacco use do work helping to change youth attitudes about tobacco, thereby reducing the chances children will start smoking again.
The researchers noted a nationwide decline in smoking, about a 50 percent drop in adult smoking over the past 40 years, but pointed out that one in five Americans still continue to smoke, and more than 4,000 children and teens smoke their first cigarette each day.
William Corr, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said that this report sends an unmistakable message to officials that they can dramatically reduce tobacco use by children and by adults by passing legislation that would authorize the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products and by adequately funding their state prevention and cessation programs.
