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Elizabeth A. Smith, PhD, Dept of Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0612, San Francisco, CA 94143-0612, 415-502-5238, libbys@itsa.ucsf.edu, Naphtali Offen, BS, Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0612, San Francisco, CA 94143-0612, and Ruth E. Malone, RN, PhD, Dept. of Social & Behavioral Sciences and Center for Tobacco Control Research & Education, University of California, San Francisco, Box 1390, San Francisco, CA 94143-1390.
Tobacco advertising in media has been positively correlated with reduced coverage of tobacco-related health hazards. To determine the prevalence of tobacco-related advertising in the national and regional lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) press, we searched for and retrieved all advertising containing tobacco imagery published in the 5 most prominent national LGBT magazines and 14 regional LGBT newspapers from 1990 through 2000 and conducted a content analysis. We located 683 ads for tobacco products, of which 666 were for cigarettes. Another 2,467 ads mentioned smoking or contained smoking imagery, including 664 specifically for cessation. The remainder promoted general rehab programs (including both cessation and images of people smoking without reference to cessation), sex (900 lines, massage), and entertainment (CDs, movies, events). Cigarette ads first appeared in the gay press in early 1992 and increased throughout the decade. One magazine did not accept tobacco advertising. We found advertisements for 10 brands of cigarettes from three of the four dominant cigarette companies. Despite its popularity in the gay community, Marlboro was never advertised in the gay press. Ads never had explicit gay content, and only rarely had implicit gay content. Advocates should publicly challenge the influence of tobacco industry advertising and promotion, creating alliances with the larger LGBT health and mainstream tobacco control movements.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Tobacco Control, Gay
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.