AMA OKs Move to Oppose All Tobacco Advertising

The American Medical Assn. voted today to oppose cigarette advertising in newspapers, magazines and on billboards and to support legislation banning such displays.

The AMA’s governing body, the 371-member House of Delegates, officially went on record opposing tobacco advertising by voice vote. The vote was overwhelming but not unanimous.

It is now the official policy of the AMA to introduce and support legislation calling for a total ban on all tobacco advertising, officials said. The AMA already has declared its opposition to the use of tobacco products and has set a goal of achieving a “smoke-free society” by the year 2000.

“The board believes that advertising and promotion of tobacco products--that advertising of all tobacco products--should be opposed and legislation ought to be enacted to achieve it,” said Dr. C. John Tupper, a member of the AMA board of trustees and professor of internal medicine at the University of California at Davis.

Tupper said the motion was referred last June to the board of trustees where it was approved and recommended to the full membership.

The AMA has tried in the past to persuade magazines not to accept cigarette advertising, but of the 20 most widely circulated periodicals, only three prohibit tobacco ads, Tupper said.

The resolution also places the AMA in opposition to indirect advertising such as skywriting, passing out free samples and the prominent display of tobacco products in movies.

The AMA’s board said cigarettes are the most heavily advertised product in America, with $2 billion spent annually by domestic advertisers.

“Since radio and television advertising of cigarettes was banned by congressional action in 1971, cigarette companies have become the largest advertisers in newspapers, magazines and outdoor display advertising,” an AMA statement said.