Tobacco Documents Online

HeOng you breatne a lirtle ea.aer ADVERTISING RESTRICTIONS , •:• Smoking is the # 1 preventable cause of death in the United S tates, killing 434,000 Americans each year, more than alcohol, illegal drugs, homicide, suicide, car accidents, fires, and AIDS cornbined. (USDHHS. 1989 Surgeon General's Report: U.S. Centers for Disease Control) •: The tobacco industry spends $3.5 billion a year advertising and promoting tfieirdeadly products-over $100 a second. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control) •:• The tobacco industry is targeting youth, minorities, and women to replace the 3.000 smokers that quit or die each day. (Not Far Enough, Women vs. Smoking,1987) s• In 1986, the San Francisco Department of Planning determined that 62% of billboards in African- American neighborhoods and 42% of billboards in Latino neighborhoods advertised cigarettes and alcohol, compared to only 36% citywide. A 1988 study by The Boston Globe found that there were ten times as many tobacco and alcohol ads in Black neighboods than White neighborhoods. Other studies have had similar results in cities throughout the country. (CiifzensActtonHandbookonAkoholandTodacco BiFlhoard Adverirsing, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington D.C., and Scenic America, Washington, D:C.) •:• This targeting is working: In 1987, 41 °I'o of African-American men smoked, compared to 31 °Po of white men. 329'0 of African-American women smoked, compared to 28°k of white women. (ReduckglheHeafth Coruequerxaes of Smoking, 25 Years of Progress: A Repaf of the Sutg.ear Genera4 1989) •*e If an advertising ordinance were to rcduce smoking in San Francisco by only 1%, it would result in a savings of $2,347,152' each year for the City. (San Francisco Department of Public Health, Tobacco Control Pioject). :• Although billboards are the only advertisements which are impossible to ignore, the warning labels on tobacco. billboards are impossible to read'; according to a recent study. (U.S. Office on Smoking and Heafth) "OldJoe," the cartoon camel used to advertise Camel cigarettes, is as familiarto six year olds as Mickey Mouse. 9 1 % of six years olds knew Old Joe and linked him with his product, the same rate that identified the Mickey Mouse icon. (Fscher,PauIM.,MD,'8randlogoRecogritiontiyGhikirenAged3to6Yeacs,'Jaurral' of the Ameriran lNedical Associatim December 11, 1991) + Camel cigarette's share of the under 18 market has increased dramatically since the Joe Camel cartoon was introduced in 1988-from 0.5% in 1988 to 32.8% in 1991, representing $476 million per year in N illegal sales. (DiFtanza, Joseph R.. MD:'RJR Nabisco's Cartoon Camef Ptomotes Camel Cigarettes to Ctiildren ' Journaf of lhe ~ Ameri~Medca! Associa>7on~ December 11,1991) r. rv ~ Changes in market share resulting from advertising occur mostly in younger smokers. showing that Q~ perception of advertising is higher among young smokers. (Pierce,JotinP.,PhD,etat,"DoesTobaccoAdvertising~ Target Young People to Start Smoking?' JAMA, December 11,1991. CA p~~ t~ 2530 San Pablo Avenue„ Suite J• Berkeley, California 94702 •(510) 841-3032 / FAX (510) 84'1-7702 ASSIST Training + March 1993 449