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WHY DO JUVENILES
START S44OKING?.
AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY
OF THE ROLE OF ADVERTISING &
OTHER CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS
IN ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA,
HONG KONG, NORWAY, SPAIN,
SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, TURKEY,
& THE UNITED KINGDOM.
EDITED AND INTRODUCED BY:
PROFESSOR J.J. BODDEWYN, Ph.D
BARUCH COLLEGE, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Publ~ed by.
INTONATIONAL ADVERTISING ASSOCIATION,
New York
Noveml~er 1987
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BatCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999

A Report
Prepared by: CHILDREN'S RESEARCH UNIT (CRU), London
Sponsored by:. INFOTAB, Brussels
Published by: INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ASSOCIATION, New York
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BatCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999

PREFACE
The IAA is most interested in the eff~'ts of advertising on children, a so-called vulnerable
group. For this reason,
we pubLish this study as a valuable addition to the literature.. It is based on very careful
research by a most q~
organization employing methodology which wc have examined thoroughly and found to be of the highest
standards. It is also rese.a~h which has generated a comparable international data base.
The IAA believes in the freedom to advertise all products and services which are legally sold
and legally
consumed. Further, the IAA beli~es that this freedom is indivis~le in the seine that restrictiom
applied to one
group of products inevitably lead to erosion of the freedom to advertise other products.
These beliefs led us to publish"Tobacco Advertising Bans and Consumption in 16 Countries'(in
1983 and 1986),
which clearly showed that the implementation of advertising bans was generally not followed by
decreases in overall
tobacco consumption.
It would be convenient for those against advertising to indict it as a main cause in how and why
people buy and
consume products. But advertising is only one of the many variables affecting consumer choices.
This ten-nation comparative study bears on all of these issues and should be an important
addition to a growing
literature on them.
International Advertising Association
World Headquarters
342 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10017, USA
(212) 557-1133
0
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BatCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999

CONTENTS
1. EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION
2. THE ISSUE
3. BASIC RESEARCH APPROACH
4. RESULTS OVERVIEW
5. KEY FINDINGS
6. JUVENILE SMOKING INCIDENCE
7. THE DIRECT IMPACT OF ADVERTISING
ON JUVENILE SMOKING INITIATION
8. STARTING TO SMOKE: KEY FACTORS
9. CONCLUSIONS
APPENDICES
9
I1
13
A : The Children's Research Unit (CRU)
18
B : Interviewing Children: G-~neral Comments 19
C : CRU's Research Methods Used in This Study 21
D : Smoking Frequency 23
E : Description of the Reported Surveys 24
F : Comparison of Restrictiom on Tobacco Advertising in Countries Covered in This Report 26
G : Review of the Literature 28
H : Refe~ncas 30
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BatCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999

1. EDITOR'S
INTRODUCTION
Whether tobacco advertising affects overall tobacco consumption is a complex problem. The bulk
of research on
this topic points to little or no relationship between the two. A subset of this issue concerns the
impact of cigarette
advertising on smoking initiation by thcyoung: do juveniles start to smoke because they have been
exposed to print
and broadcast advertisements?
Important Evidence
The 10-country comparison* report~ here provides strong evidence that adverr~ingpi~ys a
miniscule role in the
initiation of smoking by theyoung. Instead, parents, siblings and friends appear to be the
determining factors when
children start to smoke.
New Evidence
Such a point has been made and proved before. However, this recent study (1984-1987) provides
not only
corroborative evidence but also a new an#e by-foeusslng on nine countries where the control of
cigarette advertising
ranges from a ban (Norway) to rath~ Limited restrictions (Argentina, Hong Kong and Spain), with
Australia,
Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom standing in between.
It establishes that family and peer influences appear to be the determining factors,
irrespective of whether the
young are exposed to cigarette advertising or not, with all nine countries reporting the similar
overwhelming impact
of social and cultural influences on juvenile smoking initiation.
New Methodology
This study also breaks new methodological ground in that, for the fwst time, an established
Smoking Prevalence
Estimator has been applied internationally to produce a comparable measure among countries with
differing
tobacco-advertising controls.
Besides, instead of using diaries or impersonal questionnaires administered at school, as is
common in this field,
the present survey used personalinterviews conducted at home.** Again, this is a In'st international
methodological
breakthrough which has generated a comparable international database about juvenile smoking
initiation and
incidence.
Great care was also exercised in adapting some of the questions to the particular locales, since
customs vary from
country to country. Finally, afar broader age range (7 to 15/16 years old) of respondems were
interviewed than in
most other studies, in order to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors involved.
Implications
The findings would seem to challenge the validity of fairly common assertions that the young
start to smoke
because they have been exposed to cigarette advertising. They also raise questions about the
effectiveness oftobac, co
advertising bans.*** In Norway, the subjects of the study were too young to have been influenced by
cigarette
advertising before a ban was imposed in 1975; indeed, some of the subjects ofthe study had not even
been born. By
contrast, all of the subjects of the study in Spain and Hong Kong had grown up in the presence of
cigarette
advertising, yet the incidence of smoking among the juveniles studied in Spain and Hong Kong was
lower by far
than the incidence of smoking among juveniles in Norway. Clearly, factors other than advertising are
at play, and
they even predominate, so that advertising should not be made into a scapegoat for juvenile smoking.
Is the Evidence Believable?
This study was initiated and financed by the tobacco industry. No one should question its right
to engage in
research, any more than research by the antismoking movement should be considered suspicious a
priori. The test,
instead, should be: "Is it good research?"
"Ten countries are compared. 9 of which wet~ suaveyed by the CRU. British government data collected
separately ate also included for
comparati~ purpose~
** In Canada, however, interviews were conduc"~-d in shopping-mall locations.
**" See Tobacco Advertising Bans and Consumption in 16 Countries. New York: International
Advertising Association. 1986.
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BatCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999

The findings reported here were provided by the London-based Children's Research Unit (CRU), which
is an
experienced research house that has been employed by both business and govemmem (see Appendix A).
CRU
relied in part on the methods and findings of studies commissioned by the British Government in 1982
and 1984, but
it also drew on its own extensive international research experience to improve on the British
Government study's
methodology (Appendices B and C detail the research methodology used in the nine country studies).
I think that the methodology used by CRU was appropriate, and that the findings are credible -
after all, other
studies have reached similar conclusions. Particularly relevant in this respect arc the conclusions
of a recent study of
schoolchildren's smoking in four counmes, sponsored by the World Health Orgnnisation:
"The lack of clear differences in smoking habits between countries probably reflects the
selection of
countries involved in the study in 1983-84. However, since Norway and Fh'dand am countries with
restrictive legislation [actually, a ban] on advertising of tobacco products, and the other two
countries
[Austria and England] are not, a difference might have been expected. No suchsystematic
d~fferences are
found (emphasis added)." L.E. Aaro ˘t al., "Health Behaviour in School Children: A WHO Cross-
national Survey," Health Promotion, I, l (May 1986"), p.32.
In any case, readers should reach their own conclusions, with the new data presented here --
collected
internationally -- and in a comparable manner, now available for discussing the issue of juvenile
smoking initiation.
Limitations
This study emphasizes the differences among national tobacca>advertising controls. However, the
present report
also highlights various cultural habits, particularly in Hong Kong, Spain and Turkey. Whilst we need
further
studies of the role of other cultural factors in the initiation of smoking by the young, this very
requirement also
applies to those who advocate tobacco-advertising bans and other restrictions all over the world.
They ignore or
play down the varying impact of cultural values and customs when they propose the same solutions --
bans and
restrictions -- everywhere.
The findings reported here deal mainly with juvenile smoking initiation, and the survey did not
investigate factors
accounting for the continuation of smoking behaviour. Only additional research can explain the
latter but,
meanwhile, the Children's Research Unit's study can be considered to have thoroughly investigated
factors
influencing the initiation of smoking by youngsters on a cross-national basis.
In my editorial role, I have asked the authors of this report to clarify their methods and
findings, and to limit their
interpretations to what can be reasonably inferred from the data. As such, the following study
provides valuable
evidence for researchers, policy-makers, advertising practitioners and concerned citizens.
Jj. Boddewyn
Professor of Marketing/International Business
Barueh College, City University of New York
17 I.axing, ton Avenue, New York I0010, USA
Tel. (212) 725-3295
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BatCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999

2. THE ISSUE
There is a growing body ofnationalsmdics identifying factors accounting for "juvenile smoking
initiation," that
is, the conditions, motivations and pr~pitar.ing circumstances associated with children starting to
smoke (see
Appendix G for a review of that lit=mmre).
Still, whether substantiated or not, there is a fairly widespread belief around the world that
advertising
constitutes a major factor in this initiation process. In contrast, there has been a lack of
systematic cross-national
r~earch to compare juvenile smoking initiation under different country conditions.
Nations, of course, vary considerably in such factors as values, economic development, political
systems and
social stratification. Controlling for all of these factors is a daunting task indeed for any
rtscaxchcr. However,
considering that one common remedy has been proposed to combat juvenile smoking, namely, to ban or
severely
restrict tobacco advertising, it was highly desirable to compare countries that d~ffer aignfzcantly
in terms of public
policies, towards tobacco advertising, in order to determine the relative impact of tobacco
advert~f~zg on why
~n#es s:an smol~g. . . -
To this end, the tobacco industry's international information organisafion (INFOTAB) commissioned
the
Children's Research Unit (CRU- sec Appendix A) to determine the extent to which tobacco advertising
influenced
juvenile smoking initiation in a sample of countries selected for their diffetumt regulatory systems
regarding the
advertising of tobacco products (see Appendix F for further details about national regulatory
systems).
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BatCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999

3. BASIC RESEARCH APPROACH
The programme of research reported here has involved independent investigations in nine
countries, conducted
during 1984 (Australia), 1985 (Norway), 1986 (Spain, Hong Kong, Canada and Argentina) and 1987
(Switzerland.
Sweden and Turkey). However, UK data, collected by the British government, are also used for the
purpose of
comparison.
Approximately I000 interviews were conducted in each of these nine countries with boys and girls
aged 7-15/16
years according to a quota sample. In eight countries, personal interviews were conducted in-home
with parental
permission and the willing participation of the child. In Canada, respondents were recruited (via
their parents) and
personally interviewed in private locations within shopping malls (see Appendices C and E for
further details).
Fast of alL it was important to apply a reliable estimator of smoking prevaltnce so that
countries with varying
polities towards tobacco-advertising control could be meaningfully compared. CRU therefor˘ decided
to apply
Bcwley's Smoking Prevalence Estimator (see Appendix D), widely accepted in this field, throughout
this interna-
tional research project. Since the UK Office of Popular/on Cereuses and Surveys (OPCS) studies
(Dobbs & Marsh
I and 2* had also applied Bewley's modified estimator in 1982 and 1984, this enabled comparisons to
be made
between data from the United Kingdom (OPCS) and other countries (CRU studies).
The nine countries were chosen as providing important comparisons in relation to the degree of
media exposure
allowed for tobacco advertising at the time of each survey, as summariscd below (further details are
provided in
Appendix F):
U.K.
1984
Australia
19M
Norway
1985
1986
No cigarette or roll-your-own advertising permitted on "IV or radio. Voluntary controls or
restrictions exist for cinema, press, sponsorship and posters. No spe~c restrictions on point-of-
sal= advertising.
No'IV or radio advertising since 1976. Cinema advertising is restricted, but there are no specific
restrictions on press, spomorship, posters and point-of-sale advertising.
Complete ban on all kinds of tobacco advertising and sponsorship since 1975.
HongKong
1986
Canada
1986
Some restrictions apply to "IV and radio advertising. No speci~c restrictions on
press advertis-
ing and sponsorship. Cinema unx,stricted except in Catalonia. There are also
restrictions on
posters, which are not allowed in Catalonia. Point-of-sale advertising is only
allowed for
domestic brands.
Some restrictions apply to "IV and radio advertising, but there axe no specific
restrictions on
cinema, press, posters and point-of-sale advertising, or on sponsorships.
No "IV or radio advertising since 1972. There am no restrictions on cinema or
pi'ess advertising.
Sponsorship is limited to the non-electronic media, and is being phased out of
amateur sports.
Restrictions apply to posters, but not to point-of-sale advertising.
Argemina Some restrictions apply to TV, radio and cinema advertising. There are no rtstrictions on
1986 sponsorship, posters and point-of-sale advertising.
Switzerland No TV advertising sinca 1964. Advertising expenditures for tobacco advertising on
foreign "IV
1987 and radio stations broadcasting to Swiss audiences have been disallowed since 1982, by
voluntary agreement. No specific restrictions apply to dmema advertising
although self-
imposed restrictiom by cinema distributors do exist. There are restrictions
applying to press
advertising, sponsorship and posters, but none on point-of-sale advertising.
Sweden No commercial advertising for any product on TV and radio. Cinema tobacco advertising has
1987 been prohibited since 1979. There am restrictions on press advertising for tobacco products.
Sponsorship and posters here have bccn prohibited since 1979. Restrictions also
apply to
point-of-sale advertising.
Turkey No "IV or radio advertising. No restrictions on cinema advertising for tobacco products.
Press
1987 advertising of tobacco products is allowed, as is sponsorship, except for football. No
restrictions
apply to posters and point-of-sale advertising.
The OK OPCS studies provided the baseline essential for conducting this international research
programme,
and the rmults from all ten coumries (including the United Kingdom) are prtsented herr (in the
United Kingdom, Ox
there were three saparate studies which are treated here as one - see Appendices D and E).
CZD
* The numbers in pattmtheses t'd'er to entries in the bibliography (Appendix H) at the ~ of this
report.
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BatCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999

The overall approach adopted in this report is to illustrate the picture which emerges from each
national survey.
It must be str~sed, however, that "r~ular smokers~ are always def'med in the same way as children
who smoke at
least one cigarette every week, and that'children" always means child~n of comparable age, when this
appears to
be important (see Appendix D).
Against this background, this research report considers the national patterns of smoking, the
ways in which
smoking seems to start, and the part which advertising may play in this process, against the impact
of the social and
familial environments.
With a study of this complex nature, ther~ are many possible analytical breakdowns of the
statistics, such as boys
versus girls, those who live in towns versus those who live in the country, and social and culmraJ
factors. However,
the purpose of the research was to examine differences among nine countries, and the data is
therefore presented
here by country of study, and, within this, by smokers against non-smokers, and often by age as wen.
Further
fragmentation would seem likely to bring confusion ra~er than enlightenment with.in the conte~ of
this report.
Further enquiries about this cross-national survey can be addressed to:
Glen Smith, Chin ...... ".
Children's Research Unit (CRLD -
Albany House -- •
Portslade Road
London SW8 3DJ
England
Tel. 01-622 0286
Fax. 01-720 0537
Tlx. 8952387
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BatCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999

4. RESULTS OVERVIEW
CRU's cross-national research concentrated on examining the smoking initiation process by
juveniles. Particular
attention was given to examining the role of advertising within and among countries with diffe~nt
approaches to
tobacco-advertising controls, ranging from countries with a few or many restrictions to one with a
complete
~tver~ing ban (Norway).
This comparative study found, in the face of the varying national patterns regarding the control
of tobacco
adverzising, that it was not possible to predict which country would have the lowest incidence of
juvenile smoking.
Conversely, juvenile smoking incidence statistics would not help predict which country has the
strongest restrictions
on tobacco advertising. Clearly, factors other than tobacco advertising and its regulator), control
must have played
a key role in juvenile smoking initiation and incidence.
The research revealed key factors such as the circumstances in which children begin to
experiment with smoking;,
the role played by the smoking behaviour of parents, brothers, sisters and peers; the ch~enge of
daredevilry,
together with sodo-adtural factors.
The data patterns which have emerged are remarkably similar on acountry-by-country basis, and
they show that
a combination of personal, family and social factors are the predominant reasons accounting for
smoking initiation
by juveniles. Such data patterns persist despite the presence or absence of tobacco advertishag.
Advertising was also
found to be an insignificant factor with respect to the list of reasons advanced by juvenile
respondents for starting to
smoke.
[n all cases, it is apparent that tobacco advertising does not significantly influence the
smoking initiation process
as far as children and young people concerned Instead, the decision to start smoking involves mos@ a
combination
of personal, family and social factors.
To summarise, the smoking initiation process and the role of advertising have been
internationally examined
within and between coumries with different approaches to tobacco-advertising controls. Advertising
has bccn
comistently found to bc irrelevant not only to the smoking initiation process by juveRilcs, but also
regarding
juvenile smoking incidence.
5. KEY FINDINGS
I. Table I reveals that the proportions of 7-15-year-old children smoking at all, wcrc found to be
fairly similar in all
the countries surveyed, except for Hong Kong and Argentina, which have relatively few
restrictions on tobacco
advertising, and where a very high proportion of those children have never smoked. Overall, there
were rather
low levels of regular and occasional smoking (from I to 15 percent) amongst children aged 7-15
years.
2. In all countrias, "regular smokers" (those who smoked at least one cigareue per week) in the I
1-15-year age
group ranged from 3% in Argentina and Hong Kong to 13% in England and Norway, and to [6% in
Scotland
(see Table 2). Again, the connection with tobacco-advertising controls is not evident st all.
3. Theinddenceofregularsmokingamong 15-year-olds (the older age group where comparable intemational
dam
arc available) was highest in Norway (36%), a country with a total advertising ban on tobacco
products, and
substantially lower in Hong Kong (1 I%), where there were relatively few restrictions on tobacco
advertising.
Switzerland had the lowest incidence of 15-year-old smokers (8%) of all the countries in this
survey (refer to table
on page 7).
4. The start of smoking was found to depend very much on the influence of family and friends, and
the chances of a
child smoking in a household where there were no other smokers were low (see Chapter 8).
5. The influence of advertising on smoking initiation was found to bc insignificant in relation to
the overwhelming
pressures of personal and social (family and friends) influences surrounding the potential smoker
(see Chapter 7).
BatCo document for PFSFC 1 March 1999
