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U of M scholar and colleagues link tobacco industry's marketing to youth smoking 

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) released a report today, co-edited by University of Minnesota professor Barbara Loken, that reaches the government's strongest conclusion to date that tobacco marketing and depictions of smoking in movies promote youth smoking. "There is now incontrovertible evidence that marketing of tobacco, and the depiction of smoking in the movies, promote youth smoking and can cause young people to begin smoking," said Loken, professor of marketing at the Carlson School of Management and one of the report's five scientific editors.

The 684-page monograph, "The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use," presents definitive conclusions that a) tobacco advertising and promotion are causally related to increased tobacco use, and b) exposure to depictions of smoking in movies causes youth smoking initiation. The report also concludes that while mass media campaigns can reduce tobacco use, youth smoking prevention campaigns sponsored by the tobacco industry are generally ineffective and may even increase youth smoking.

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Nevada politico, biochemist decry smoking mystique 

A Nevada politician and a biochemist who headed a state anti-tobacco organization agreed Friday that a National Cancer Institute study about media and smoking is dead on regarding a deadly serious topic.

Sen. John Ensign, a Republican who hails from Las Vegas, and Dr. Chris Pritsos, a University of Nevada, Reno biochemist, agreed popular media images that include persons smoking can lure youth into a lifelong habit dangerous to their health.

A cancer institute report found that media, whether popular culture or advertising, can have that impact on young persons.

Sen. Ensign issued a statement from his Las Vegas office saying he battled for years to make people aware of this problem, and he will keep up the battle "to end popular culture's hold over children when they are contemplating whether to light up and start a lifetime of tobacco dependency and health risk."

Dr. Pritsos, head of the Nevada Tobacco Prevention Coalition from 2002-06, said the research is clear that glorifying tobacco usage has an impact. He said images of smokers give the impression that smoking is okay, that it is the norm.

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• LETTER: HEALTON/TOOMEY/WHEELER: Smoking: an R-rated offense  

The Times deserves credit for recognizing in its Aug. 23 editorial "Smoking in the movies" the tremendous impact smoking in movies has on our nation's youth. We disagree with its assertion, however, that giving movies that depict smoking an R rating amounts to censorship. The Motion Picture Assn. of America's rating system is not in place to control the content of films; rather, it allows parents to judge whether they want their children to see specific content such as drug use, violence or other risky behaviors. Because smoking kills more than 400,000 Americans each year and there is evidence (PDF) that more than 67% of adults agree that movies with cigarette smoking should be rated R unless they clearly depict the dangers of smoking, an R rating is simply a pragmatic approach to a public health epidemic. . . .

How many more studies will it take to show Hollywood that it has the power to make a difference and safeguard young lives from lifelong tobacco addictions? There are other and more original ways to convey independence, anxiety, toughness, weakness, desperation and sex appeal. If Hollywood makes connections on screen between cigarettes and these characteristics, or shows that cigarettes are a normal and effective way to deal with anxiety, weakness and desperation, it is doing much of the legwork for Big Tobacco.

We're confident that the world's masters of special effects can both save lives and work their magic at the box office. The nation's public health community is eager to see "The End" for smoking in youth-rated movies and is confident audiences will applaud loudly when it happens.

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LITTLE: COLUMN: Is smoking sexy? 

She had just finished eating her “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and was due a good smoke. As she continues to move through the famous 1961 film she leaves a trace of smoke wherever she goes.

Now lets think about women like Edie Sedgwick, Mae West and Marilyn Monroe. They were all icons ... and all smokers.

The bottom line — smoking is sexy, and it always has been. . . .

As for myself, a girl who has only smoked a handful of cigs in her life, I know I feel significantly cooler when I smoke. Make fun of me for feeling that way, but I know you do, too.

What really gives me the urge to light up, however, is the fact that smoking has recently shown up on the runway.

Jean Paul Gaultier, chief designer for the House of Hermes, broke all of the rules in March at a Hermes fashion show when he sent models down the runway with lit cigarettes in hand.

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Major Government Report Concludes That Tobacco Marketing and Smoking in Movies Promote Youth Smoking 

Leaders from the federal government and the nation’s public health community today announced the release of an authoritative National Cancer Institute report that reaches the government’s strongest conclusion to date that tobacco marketing and depictions of smoking in movies promote youth smoking. The 684-page report, The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use, presents definitive conclusions that a) tobacco advertising and promotion are causally related to increased tobacco use, and b) exposure to depictions of smoking in movies is causally related to youth smoking initiation.

The report also concludes that mass media campaigns can reduce smoking, especially when combined with other tobacco control strategies. However, youth smoking prevention campaigns sponsored by the tobacco industry have been generally ineffective and may actually have increased youth smoking.

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• EDITORIAL: Smoking in the movies 

But how much censorship is too much when it comes to protecting public health? A cigarette can convey a tremendous amount of information about a character -- independence, anxiety, toughness or weakness, desperation and, yes, sex appeal. To rate a movie adults-only simply because a character takes a puff would reduce choices for filmmakers and audiences. Moreover, it's hard to see why smoking is more pernicious than other on-screen activities we take for granted, such as drug and alcohol use, violence and risky sexual behavior (all of which, like cigarette smoking, represent public health threats).

There are better approaches than messing around with the ratings system. Last month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that the major studios had agreed to include anti-tobacco public service announcements produced by the state at the beginning of DVDs of films rated G, PG or PG-13 that depict smoking. The National Cancer Institute report concluded that these messages are effective in countering the glamorizing effects of on-screen tobacco use. The spots should be shown in theaters as well, though that would be harder to arrange because they'd cut into screen time normally devoted to paid ads or trailers. But if the MPAA responds to political pressure, the National Assn. of Theatre Owners might too.

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Tobacco Marketing Promotes Youth Cigarette Use  

Mass media has the power to both encourage tobacco use, especially among young people, and to discourage it, according to a landmark study released Thursday by the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

"This is the first report to conclude that tobacco advertising and promotion increases tobacco use," said Melanie Wakefield, senior scientific editor of the report, The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use.

"It's the first report to make the conclusion that there is a causal relationship between exposure to depiction of smoking in the movies and youth beginning to smoke," she said.

The findings in the hefty, nearly 700-page report aren't all bad about media and its effects on tobacco use, however.

"Mass media can change youth attitudes about tobacco use,"

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The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use (PDF)  

We have considered it a privilege to work with Ron Davis as the lead Senior Scientifi c Editor of this monograph. Ron is known to many as a passionate advocate for tobacco control, who has used his finely honed skills as a translator of complex scientific concepts to facilitate progress in public health policy. Ron guided the development of this monograph from its conception to completion with outstanding leadership qualities and an unfl inching pursuit of excellence. The extraordinary breadth and depth of his knowledge and experience in this field, combined with his scientific rigor and precision, made his contributions invaluable.

Despite being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early 2008, Ron continued to work tirelessly on this monograph, employing his characteristic patience, good humor, and focused determination. His contributions will help ensure that this volume will serve as a def nitive resource to guide the tobacco control community for many years to come.

Both we and the tobacco control community are indebted to Ron for his work on this monograph and for his remarkable and inspiring leadership in the cause of public health. . . .

This monograph summarizes what we have learned about the ability of the media to encourage and discourage tobacco use. There has been much interest in and study of media, and several government publications document the impact of advertising on tobacco use. This publication provides the most comprehensive and critical review and synthesis of the current evidence base in this area, drawing on work from many disciplines and research traditions. There is growing interest in applying what we have learned in tobacco prevention and control to other public health areas (such as dietary behavior). This monograph has important messages for public health researchers, practitioners, and policymakers as well as those in the communication science and media studies communities.

This monograph provides a comprehensive assessment of the literature on developing effective pro-health media messages and on policies to control tobacco marketing, both in the United States and abroad. This information is critical to support efforts to reduce the use of tobacco and the morbidity and mortality associated with its use. The evidence presented in this volume also underscores the need to continue to study and understand the ability of protobacco forces to change media strategies to adapt to a changing tobacco control policy environment.

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UPDATE 1-Smoking in movies causes teens to smoke-US report 

Tobacco promotions and depictions of smoking in movies cause teenagers to start smoking, according to a sweeping report on tobacco in the media released on Thursday.

The report by the National Cancer Institute found the tobacco industry spent more than $13 billion on smoking-related advertising and promotion in 2005. These efforts boosted overall tobacco use, contradicting industry claims that they are intended to build brand loyalty.

"This is the first government report to present definitive conclusions that, number one, tobacco advertising and promotion are causally related to increased tobacco use in the population," said Dr. Ronald Davis, senior scientific editor of the report and past president of the American Medical Association.

"And, number two, (it shows) that depictions of smoking in movies is causally related to youth smoking initiation," Davis told a news conference.

The report, which examined more than 1,000 scientific studies on how the media influences tobacco use, comes at a time when efforts to keep young Americans from picking up cigarettes have stalled. ...

Dr. Janet Collins, who directs chronic disease prevention and health promotion at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, endorsed the report's findings.

"The report speaks clearly to what amounts to an assault on the nation's health," Collins said.

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• The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use: Executive Summary (PDF) 

When I first started TV work with the ABC affiliate in Boston in 1972, broadcast television was king, with a realm dominated by only ABC, CBS, and NBC. . . .

Perusing the information in this enormously informative volume, I was once again reminded of those elemental emotions: exhilaration about the opportunities offered by media and anxiety about the potential for misuse. Any phrase or sound bite can affect millions of people. In dealing with tobacco, I think the power of this potential must never be forgotten. Tobacco captivates people when they cannot rationally resist its siren call and can unleash a slow, deadly disease that can kill them even as they try to escape the tenacious trap of addiction . . .

I have come to believe that unless we think and feel that we are fighting a lethal battle against tobacco use, we will not succeed in stemming the forces that would promote it. This volume contains a wealth of information about how tobacco companies use media to their benefit. I predict that, like me, even though you have seen them in action, you will be amazed by the tactics used to promote tobacco. Tobacco use is a social phenomenon largely propelled by mass media over the past century, led by tobacco industry professionals who constantly change strategies to reach their goals. They combine the resourcefulness of a profit-making industry with a changing media and regulatory landscape to sell a product that remains our greatest public health challenge. We will not remove tobacco from our society unless we are willing to understand the industry’s constantly changing tactics. . . .

I invite you to consider this volume a valuable reference for understanding how media can be used in the war against tobacco. Keep it handy for wise counsel, strategic encouragement, and a partner in a noble cause.

Tim Johnson, M.D., M.P.H.

Medical Editor, ABC News . . .

Conclusions

1.

Within those states that allow these processes, ballot initiatives and referenda have served as an effective tool for enacting tobacco control legislation by direct vote. Tobacco industry interests frequently have used media channels (such as radio, television, print media, and direct mail) to defeat these ballot measures.

2.

Despite the tobacco industry’s media efforts, it has generally not prevailed, losing in 32 (76%) of 42 state initiatives and referenda from 1988 to 2006.

Given the industry’s lack of success in defeating tobacco control state initiatives and referenda at the state level, holding tobacco control initiatives or referenda is an important, though expensive, option if a state legislature has blocked tobacco control legislation.

3.

The tobacco industry consistently has used several primary themes to defeat state tobacco tax increase initiatives.

These include suggestions that the measures would impose unfair taxes and that tax revenues would not be spent on health care or tobacco control programs as intended. Secondary themes used consistently over an 18-year time span include that the measures would increase “big government” and wasteful spending, discriminate against smokers, and increase crime and smuggling.

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Federal Government Concludes Media and Movies Influence Youth Smoking 

A comprehensive report released today from the National Cancer Institute - the leading federal agency on cancer research - provides the government's strongest conclusion to date on the media's powerful and causal effect on tobacco use. The report, Monograph 19 - The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use, concluded what we in public health have known for many years: depictions of smoking in movies and tobacco marketing promote youth smoking. These facts are nonetheless illuminating because they are now recognized for the first time as fact by our federal government.

The report provides the ammunition to tobacco control advocates around the world who are fighting to keep movies smoke-free. . . .

The report also lends further credibility to existing media campaigns that have been proven to curb youth smoking, such as the foundation's award-winning truth(R) campaign. . . .

Obviously, in a rapidly changing digital landscape, understanding the role of media in reducing or promoting tobacco use is critically important as we continue working to fight the tobacco epidemic. With limited resources, the truth(R) campaign is reaching teens from big cities to rural towns in ways we didn't imagine 10 years ago. Youth get a dose of truth(R) on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, on the road at popular teen concerts throughout the summer and through ads on television and in theaters prior to movies.

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Major NCI Report Concludes Tobacco Marketing Causes Kids to Smoke, Underscores Need for U.S. Senate to Pass FDA Tobacco Regulation This Year 

The comprehensive report released today by the National Cancer Institute provides the government's strongest conclusion to date that tobacco marketing causes kids to smoke and that anti-tobacco advertising campaigns prevent smoking. The 684-page report, The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use, is an exhaustive review of more than 1,000 scientific studies and presents definitive conclusions that a) tobacco advertising and promotion are causally related to increased tobacco use, and b) exposure to depictions of smoking in the movies is causally related to youth smoking initiation. The report also concludes that mass media campaigns can reduce smoking, but so-called "youth smoking prevention campaigns" sponsored by the tobacco industry have been generally ineffective and may actually have increased youth smoking.

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• Monograph 19: The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use 

The National Cancer Institute presents this 19th monograph in the Tobacco Control Monograph Series, The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use. Monograph 19 provides a critical, scientific review and synthesis of the current evidence regarding the power of the media, both to encourage and to discourage tobacco use. It is the most current and comprehensive summary of the scientific literature on media communication in tobacco promotion and tobacco control. Research included in the review comes from the disciplines of marketing, psychology, communication, statistics, epidemiology, and public health. All are vital to understanding how exposure to the media influences tobacco use.

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For 60 Years, the Ad Game Has Been Fodder for Scripts  

THE HUCKSTERS (1947) Clark Gable is Victor Norman, a New York adman who returns from World War II with a changed perspective on his career. At his new job at the Kimberly Advertising Agency, he works for an imperious client, Evan Llewellyn Evans (Sydney Greenstreet), whose demands are the bane of Norman's boss (Adolphe Menjou). . . . Fun fact: Evans was based on an actual advertiser, George Washington Hill, president of the American Tobacco Company, whose hard-selling tactics for Lucky Strike cigarettes were evoked in a speech delivered by Evans: "Beautee soap, Beautee soap, Beautee soap. Repeat it until it comes out of their ears. Repeat it until they say it in their sleep. Irritate them, Mr. Norman. Irritate, irritate, irritate them."

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Review: `Clone Wars' is fun though forgettable 

While anything remotely "Star Wars" potentially is a welcome trek for hard-core fans, however, it will be a mixed thrill given that the saga returns to the big screen as a cartoon. . . .

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars," a Warner Bros. release, is rated PG for sci-fi action violence throughout, brief language and momentary smoking.

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