Cigarette Advertisements in Magazines: Evidence for a Differential Focus on Women's and Youth Magazines

Cigarette advertisements in eight popular magazines from 1960 to 1985 were examined. The magazines were selected to represent different market segments, particularly women and youth. Across all eight magazines, the average number of cigarette ads per issue increased substantially following the 1971 television ban on cigarette ads. Moreover, beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, proportionately more ads were placed in women's and youth-oriented magazines than in magazines which targeted other population segments. These data suggest that the tobacco industry may have responded to decreases in the number of smokers and the per capita consumption of cigarettes with an enterprising attempt to recruit new smokers—particularly young people and women.