Tobacco Ads in Stores Lure Teens

Teens who regularly visit stores that display point-of-sale ads for tobacco products were twice as likely to try smoking, a finding researchers said argues for a complete ban on such advertising.

HealthDay News reported researchers who surveyed 2,110 teens ages 11-14 found that — contrary to industry claims — point-of-sale ads are highly effective in motivating teens to smoke. Such ads represent 90 percent of all tobacco-industry spending on advertising.

Study author Lisa Henricksen of Stanford University Medical School said that regulating retail marketing is essential for further progress in bringing down teen smoking rates.

The study will be published in the August 2010 issue of the journal Pediatrics.