Cigarette advertisements, which have been shown to have a tremendous impact on tobacco use among youth, tend to emphasize youthful vigor, sexual attraction and independence themes, which appeal to teenagers and young adults struggling with these issues. In fact, there is much evidence that tobacco companies use print and film media to market to teens and are doing this very successfully:

Documents seized from tobacco companies provide evidence of targeting youth: These documents state that "the best way to introduce new youth smokers is to present the cigarette as one of the few initiations into the adult world," and to present cigarettes as "part of the illicit pleasure category of products and activities." ¹

"Cigarette advertising in magazines has increased significantly since a 1998 legal settlement between the big tobacco companies and state governments that kicked cigarette ads off billboards and buses. Rolling Stone had the largest proportion of cigarette ads than any other magazine last year, and about 30% of its readers are teenagers." (Fairclough) "Sports Illustrated had the second largest proportion of cigarette ads, and over 20% of its readers are teenagers." (Fairclough)

After declining over three decades, smoking in movies has returned to levels higher than those observed in the 1960s before the issuance of the first Surgeon General's report on smoking and health in 1964, according to a report by Stanton A. Glantz, ph. D., a professor of medicine at UCSF with the Institute for Health Policy Studies and the Division of Cardiology. ³

The recent increase in smoking prevalence rates among young people throughout the developed world has coincided with an increase in the depiction of smoking in films. While tobacco use by adults in the overall population continues to decline, the presentation of smoking in films is increasing. Films clearly exaggerate the percentage of people in the population that smoke.

A few examples of tobacco product placement in movies: In Superman II, woman reporter Lois Lane, who is a nonsmoker in the comics, chain-smoked Marlboro and the Marlboro brand name appeared at least 40 times in the film. Tobacco giant, Philip Morris paid only $40,000.00 to the producers of the movie for this promotion. Sylvester Stallone took $500,000.00 payment from one tobacco company to smoke their brand in three of his films.

John Travolta smoke in every movie he made in 1990. Julia Roberts, Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Gwenneth Paltrow and many other actors who are popular with youth smoke in their roles.