Tobacco Documents Online

Counter Advertisina For Friendly Witness . You claim that awareness levels of the anti-smoking arguments are high. But isn't that just for the adult population? Isn't it necessary to use counter-advertising for the sake of our childrens' health? We do need to make sure our children are as educated as adults. That way, they can make more informed decisions when they become adults. And today's young people have been educated. The same anti-tobacco advertising campaign that's been going on since the first Surgeon General's report has reached kids and adults alike. Kids watch television, they see the public service announcements. Millions are aware of the annual Great American Smokeout. And students are getting the anti-smoking message in the classroom. A 1988 National School Boards Association survey of public school districts found that 75 percent have anti-smoking programs at the elementary level, 81 percent at the middle school level and 78 percent at the high school level. In fact, the overwhelming majority of youngsters are aware of laws restricting the sale of cigarettes on an age basis. Research has shown that advertising has virtually no effect on decisions by youngsters to smoke. Rather, the CO

overwhelming influences are parental example and peer pressure. That's why The Tobacco Institute has a Helping Youth Decide program. Cigarette advertising is a vehicle of competition among brands. Brand advertising does not increase aggregate demand. Young people start smoking primarily because of peer pressure or because their family members smoke -- not because of advertising campaigns. So it would still be wasteful to spend taxpayer dollars toward an anti-tobacco campa ign .