Philip Morris to cut ads in magazines read by young people

June 6, 2000
Web posted at: 8:32 p.m. EDT (0032 GMT)

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Tobacco giant Philip Morris is pulling its cigarette ads in dozens of magazines -- such as People, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated -- that have large audiences of young readers.

The company said it was taking this step as part of its "ongoing commitment to reduce the profile of advertising in this country" and to "responsibly market its products only to adults."

Bill Corr, of the organization Tobacco Free Kids, said, "It's certainly one less venue where children will be exposed to the enticements of smoking. We hope it will set a standard that other companies will follow."

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Philip Morris officials are expected to testify within days in a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Florida smokers. That trial is in its penalty phase, and Philip Morris executives are expected to cite the new advertising policy as evidence that the industry is no longer targeting young people.

In 1998, Philip Morris was party to a $246 billion agreement with states attorneys general aimed at resolving suits attempting to recoup Medicaid costs spent on sick smokers.

That agreement called for tobacco companies to curb advertising aimed at young people.

"If Philip Morris didn't stand to lose as much as it does through lawsuits and through legislative action, it would be doubling and tripling its magazine budget," said Scott Donaton, editor of Advertising Age. "So the truth is, this move is about taking the heat off."

The company revealed its new policy in a statement issued late Monday. It said Philip Morris was suspending cigarette ads in "any publication whose readers younger than 18 years of age constitute 15 percent or more of the total readership of the magazine" or any publication that "is read by more than 2 million persons younger than 18 years of age."

The company said it was working with states attorneys general to develop reliable ways of determining youth readership of magazines.

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Philip Morris officials said the company expects ads will be suspended in 40 to 50 publications.

That could cost those magazines more than $100 million a year, but experts say Philip Morris will likely make up part of that loss with ads from its subsidiaries such as Kraft and Miller.

People magazine and Sports Illustrated are owned by CNN's parent company, Time Warner. People said in a statement about the tobacco company's decision:

"When they wish to think of ways to advertise exclusively to People's adult readers, we'd be happy to work with them."

Philip Morris said in April the company dropped advertising on the back covers of publications. The next month, the tobacco company said it took steps that resulted in the suspension of ads in Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated magazines.

As school let out at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Manhattan on Tuesday, some students said it's not cigarette ads in magazines that influence them, it's peer pressure, friends and parents.

"We want to fit in with certain groups," one student said. "So we decide, 'he's smoking, let's go smoke with that person.'"

The nation's second-largest cigarette maker, R.J. Reynolds, said it has no plans to follow Philip Morris's lead.

Correspondent Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report.

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