AMA seeks ban on
cigarette ads, vending machines
The American Medical Association
(AMA) is calling for a ban on all ciga-
rette ads. a halt in cigarette vending-
machine sales. and a ban on smoke-
less-tobacco television ads. The plan
has been adopted by the AMA's board
of trustees and assembly.
The association's doctors argued in
a recent public hearing that because
cancer is linked strongly to cigarette
smoking and chewing tobacco. the
medical profession has a duty to curb
tobacco use. Dr. Robert McAfee. an
advocate of the anti-advertising pro-
posal. said in an Associated Press
article that more than physicians'
counseling is needed to stop "the
ravages of this social habit."
Medical leaders contend that the
ban of radio and television cigarette
advertising in 1971 hasonlyprompted
tobacco companies to beef up news-
paper. billboard. and magazine
advertising.
Dr. D.E. Ward. Jr.. who is from
tobacco country in North Carolina.
said in the same N> article that though
tobacco is a health hazard. "manuiac-
turers of legally produced tobacco
products have the constitutional right
to advertise their products in a com-
petitive manner."
McFee discounted first-amendment
arguments saying "we feel this [the
advertising ban] is the number one
public-health right . [and] the greatest
national good that we can do at this
lime."
Anne Browder. assistant to the pre-
sident of the Tobacco Institute. the
tobacco industry's lobbying organi-
zation. said "advertising doesn't create
smokers; it creates brand loyalty."
But doctors said they feel adver-
tising can affect the young. and Sur-
geon General C. Everett Koop said
efforts should be made to protect
youngsters from tobacco health dan-
gers. The surgeon general has stated
publicly his goal of a smoke-free
society by the year 2000.
Leonard Matthews. president of the
American Association of Advertising
Agencies. said in a New York Times
article that such a ban would be
unconstitutional and ineffective. "We
have studied the situation in depth."
he said. "and our position is that any-
thing that is legal to sell should be
legal to advertise. There are a number
of foreign countries that have banned
cigarette advertising. and exhaustive
studies indicate it has no effect on the
number of people who smoke."
Matthews added that advertisin~
bans have had a negative effect
because people are not well informed
of new advances such Gs filters that
make cigarettes less harmful.
The AMA plans to prepare model
bills for state legislatures on prohibiting
cigarette sales to those under 21 and
banning cigarette-vending machines
to keep children from ignoring the
age limit.
•
NAMA voices
opposition to ban
The National Automatic Merchan-
dising Association (NAMA) responded
to the American Medical Association's
latest anti-smoking proposals by
announcing it "will coordinate orga-
nized opposition of our members to all
proposals aimed at restricting or
banning the sale of cigarettes through
vending machines."
In a release issued December 13.
Walter W . Reed. NAMA director of
public relations. said the AMA'scall for
state legislation banning cigarette
sales through vending machines is
based on the belief that "a substantial
number of teenagers under the legal
age purchase cigarettes from vending
machines.
" This allegation is comple tely
contrary to the facts." Reed said. "and
singling out cigarette machines tor
such legislation while ignoring the
many other channels of distribution
which account tor a considerably
larger source of cigarettes tor those
under the legal age is clearly discrimi-
natory and unrealistic."
In another NAMA-issued state-
ment. the organization's president. G.
Richard Schreiber. said the v ending
industry's OPERATION ALERT pro-
gram. begun in 1962 to prevent ciga-
rette vending sales to minors. has been
"a success from the beginning" with
the result . according to a 1977 NAMA
study. that more than 97 percent of
teenage smokers do not buy from
vending machines.
Citing the need to "renew our
proven sell-regulation program "
NAMA also announced OPERATION
ALERT II. which includes not only a
reaffirmation of the six-step program
to prevent cigarette vending sales to
minors but also the dissemination of
information to counteract criticism of
cigarette vending.
Among other actions. the program
c alls on cigarette-machine operators
to p ost decals reading "sales of ciga-
rettes to minors are forbidden " on
machines and to remove machines
from locations in which sales to minors
cannot be prevented.
•
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PLAY METER. December 1 5. 1985