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DrugScreening.org


 
Report: Philip Morris' Anti-Tobacco Ads Encourage Teens to Smoke
June 3, 2002

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Research Summary

A new study shows that anti-tobacco ads produced by tobacco giant Philip Morris do worse than nothing to discourage teens from smoking, the Associated Press reported May 29.

For the study, researchers compared the impact of the American Legacy Foundation's "truth" ads with those of the Philip Morris "Think, Don't Smoke" campaign. An estimated 9,000 teens ages 12 to 17 were asked to complete surveys before and after the "truth" campaign began two years ago.

According to the researchers, nonsmoking teens exposed to the Legacy ads were more likely to rule out smoking in the future, while exposure to the Philip Morris ads "was associated with an increase in the odds of youths intending to smoke in the next year."

"Philip Morris should pull its ads off the air at once," said Cheryl Healton, president and chief executive officer of the American Legacy Foundation, which commissioned the study. "It should call an immediate halt to a campaign that not only doesn't work but actually harms the very kids it purports to help."

Matthew Farrelly, a health economist and lead author of the study, said that the Legacy ads hit teens with stark images and cold facts, while the Philip Morris ads feature teen athletes who may not look believable to peer viewers.

In response to the study's findings, Howard Willard, senior vice president of youth smoking prevention at Philip Morris USA, said the company was "confident that our youth smoking prevention ads clearly convey the message that not smoking is the right decision for kids to make."

The study's findings are published in the June 2002 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

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