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National Cancer Institute Report Concludes Tobacco Marketing Causes Kids to Smoke Louisiana Tobacco Prevention and Control Programs Can’t Compete
A comprehensive report recently released by the National Cancer Institute provides the governments strongest conclusion to date that tobacco marketing causes kids to smoke and that anti-tobacco advertising campaigns prevent smoking further underscoring the need for Louisiana to increase its investment in tobacco prevention and cessation programs, including mass media advertising campaigns.
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. Mass media campaigns are a proven method for preventing kids from smoking and encouraging smokers to quit, according to the report, and are especially effective when combined with community-based programs and when part of a comprehensive approach to reducing tobacco use including higher tobacco taxes and smoke-free laws.
This report shows that our tobacco prevention program, including anti-tobacco advertising, is a smart investment that will reduce smoking, save lives, and save money by reducing smoking-related health care costs, said Ashley Ross, director of The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living. It is imperative that Louisiana leaders act quickly to increase funding for tobacco prevention to the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In light of the evidence that tobacco prevention works and the fact that our state is collecting so much money from the tobacco settlement and tobacco tax, there is simply no excuse for not funding tobacco prevention and protecting our kids from this deadly addiction. Currently, all tobacco prevention and control programs in Louisiana are working together from a comprehensive approach to battle the prevalence of tobacco use.
The report also underscores the need for Congress to enact pending legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over tobacco products, which would impose specific restrictions on tobacco marketing that appeals to kids and give the FDA authority to further restrict tobacco marketing. The bipartisan legislation would grant the FDA broad authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products and impose specific restrictions on tobacco marketing that appeal to children. The legislation will also enhance state tobacco control efforts by giving states new authority to limit tobacco marketing. The FDA bill was approved by the House of Representatives in July and is pending in the Senate, where it has 58 sponsors and several other senators who have committed to supporting the bill.
The monograph concludes that:
Cigarettes are one of the most heavily marketed products in the United States. Between 1940 and 2005, U.S. cigarette manufacturers spent about $250 billion (in 2006 dollars) on cigarette advertising and promotion. In 2005, the industry spent $13.5 billion (in 2006 dollars) on cigarette advertising and promotion in the United States $37 million per day on average.
Much tobacco advertising targets the psychological needs of adolescents, such as popularity, peer acceptance and positive self-image. Advertising creates the perception that smoking will satisfy these needs.
Even brief exposure to tobacco advertising influences adolescents attitudes and perceptions about smoking and smokers, and adolescents intentions to smoke.
The depiction of cigarette smoking is pervasive in movies, occurring in three-quarters or more of contemporary box-office hits. Identifiable cigarette brands appear in about one-third of movies.
The tobacco industry works hard to impede tobacco control media campaigns, including attempts to prevent or reduce their funding.
This new report adds to the already overwhelming evidence that state tobacco prevention and cessation programs work leaving Louisiana leaders with no excuse for failing to fund such programs at the level recommended by the CDC. Currently, Louisiana spends $7.7 million a year on tobacco prevention, which amounts to 14.3 percent of the $53.5 million recommended by the CDC. In contrast, the tobacco companies spend $291.5 million a year to market their deadly products in Louisiana.
The decision should be an easy one for Louisiana leaders:
The problem is huge and warrants urgent action. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in Louisiana, resulting in 6,400 premature deaths and costing the state nearly $1.47 billion in health care bills each year.
States have the revenue. Louisiana will collect about $295.2 million this year in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes.
The public supports it. Poll after poll shows that Americans strongly believe tobacco settlement and tax dollars should be spent on tobacco prevention.
States with well-funded programs have reported strong success. Washington state, with a well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation program, has reduced adult smoking by 24 percent since it launched the program in 1999. Washingtons dramatic decline in adult smoking translates to more than 230,000 fewer smokers in the state, saving about $2.1 billion in future health care costs
With the tobacco companies spending $13.5 billion a year marketing their deadly products, it is imperative that Louisiana leaders act now to fund programs that we know work to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.
The NCI report can be found at: www.cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb/monographs/19/index.htm.
