Pierce, John P., Ph.D.
(Epidemiologist, U of CA, San Diego, Anti-Tobacco Expert)John Pierce was a epidemiologist at the University of California at San Diego in 1994. Pierce theorizes that "social smoking" simply means that it's taking a few years longer for young people to become addicted to cigarettes (WSJ 7/5/94). Beginning in 1967, the ads targeting women began in large numbers. The famous theme, "You've come a long way baby" for Virginia Slims was used. And, abruptly in 1967, the number of girls under 18 who started smoking shot up. This initiation peaked around 1973 at about the same time as the sales of these brands peaked. In data collected by Dr. John Pierce of the University of California at San Diego, this period shows an interesting anomaly. Among girls over 18, the figures for starting smoking were stable, with only a slight increase between 1944 and 1960. Then the curve dives downward: As Pierce says, these older youths were listening to the news of cigarette hazards and fewer started. But for girls 14 to 17 years old, the pattern is different: There was a steadily, slowing increasing number of starters from 1944 to 1967. Then, from 1967, coinciding with the new ad campaigns targeting young girls, the girls 11 to 17 years showed a sudden, large rise. The jump was 110% in 12 year olds; 55% among 13 year olds; 70% among 14 year olds; 75% among 15 year olds; 55% among 16 year olds; and 35 % among 17 year olds. Those over age 17 showed no increase, but instead the steady decline continued. So the ad blitz targeting girls either was fantastically successful, if the companies were aiming at girls 17 and under, or the campaign was a complete disaster, missing all together the company's stated target of young adults over 21. Dr. Pierce notes that similar large jumps in initiation smoking among the young coincide with large bursts of advertising at many times throughout the century. (Smokescreen, pg. 69-70). He is located at Sam M. Walton Professor for Cancer Research, Department of Family and Preventative Medicine Head, Cancer Prevention and Control, University of California, San Diego, Cancer Center 0901 LaJolla, CA 92093-0901. (State of Florida's Proposed Plaintiff's Disclosure of Expert Witnesses, 2/5/97)Dr. Pierce holds a Ph.D. in epidemiology. His area of expertise includes the relationship of advertising campaigns with the initiation of smoking.