Tobacco marketing and adolescent smoking: More support for a causal inference

Objectives. This prospective study examined the effect of tobacco marketing on progression to established smoking. Methods. Massachusetts adolescents (n = 529) who at baseline had smoked no more than 1 cigarette were reinterviewed by telephone in 1997. Analyses exa mined the effect of receptivity to tobacco marketing at baseline on progres sion to established smoking. controlling for significant covariates. Results. Adolescents who, at baseline, owned a tobacco promotional item and named a brand whose advertisements attracted their attention were more tha n twice as likely to become established smokers (odds ratio = 2.70) than ad olescents who did neither. Conclusions. Participation in tobacco marketing often precedes, and is like ly to facilitate, progression to established smoking. Hence, restrictions o n tobacco marketing and promotion could I-educe addiction to tobacco.