Tess Cruz, PhD, MPH¹, Valentina Andreeva-Cook¹, Darleen V. Schuster, MA, MPH, CHES², Nadia Abuzaineh¹, and Ester Cornelis, MPH³. (1) Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1000 South Fremont Ave, Unit 8, Room 4209, Alhambra, CA 91803, 626-457-6647, tesscruz@usc.edu, (2) Keck School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, 1000 South Fremont, Unit 8, Room 5129, Alhambra, CA 91803, (3) Health Promotion, Dodoneestraat 66, 1180 Ukkel, Brussel, Belgium

Sporting events are used by tobacco companies to promote their products and image on television, despite the broadcast ban on tobacco advertising. 25 tobacco-sponsored autoraces, rodeos, and motorcycle races in California ran on six television networks in 2002. These events were taped from television and observed in communities across California. Comparisons were made between the televised and live events. This study analyzed and compared the uses of these promotional strategies. Televised events reached 44 million viewers, almost 70 times more people than at the corresponding live events. Supplemental data estimated that these televised promotions were equivalent to $8.2 million in paid television advertisements. Tobacco-sponsorship contracts help national sports organizations, such as the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association, secure prime time media contracts. Five tobacco sponsors benefited from this arrangement. Details of their involvement will be presented, along with the top beverage and alcohol sponsors. Tobacco promotions are ostensibly aimed at adults, but youth comprise 24% of the live audience at these events, with motorcycle racing commanding over 35%. Motorcycle races are often televised during the Saturday morning viewing time usually dedicated to youth programming. Television cameras capture certain close-ups of tobacco logos that can only be seen on television rather than by live audiences. This research has three policy implications: (1) the Federal Trade Commission should report the extent of these promotional expenditures, (2) high youth viewership may indicate poor compliance with the Master Settlement Agreement, and (3) potential violations of the broadcast ban should be investigated.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe tobacco industry objectives for sponsoring events that are televised.
• Discuss the policy implications of tobacco-sponsored television events.
• Compare and contrast youth exposure to televised and live tobacco-sponsored events.

Keywords: Tobacco Industry, Tobacco Settlement

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.