AMA Calls for Ban on All Tobacco Ads, Rejects Plan on AIDS Tests for Couples

The American Medical Assn., broadening its aggressive anti-smoking campaign, called Tuesday for a ban on all tobacco advertising. It also backed away from urging AIDS blood tests for couples planning to marry and declined to consider an anti-discrimination resolution on AIDS.

The actions, which become part of official AMA policy, were taken in voice votes by the 271,000-member association’s governing body, the House of Delegates.

The AMA vowed to help shape congressional legislation that would extend a ban on broadcast tobacco ads to all other media--and not only for cigarettes but also for “smokeless” tobacco, snuff and other products.

Promotions Ban Studied

The group also suggested barring promotions that help tobacco companies publicize their products, including athletic and cultural events, distribution of free samples, displays where products are sold and skywriting.

Since Congress banned cigarette advertising on television in 1971, cigarette companies “have become the largest advertisers in newspapers, magazines and outdoor display advertising,” the AMA said in a report.

Citing advertising totaling $2 billion a year, officials said that efforts by the AMA to persuade newspapers and magazines to voluntarily refuse ads have “had only modest success.”

In addition to urging the advertising ban, the AMA agreed to draft model legislation for states that would forbid cigarette sales to anyone under 21, ban vending machine sales and press the surgeon general to place health warnings on packages of smokeless tobacco.

Opposition Increases

The American Newspaper Publishers Assn. is “really cranking up” its opposition to any broadened ban and is likely to mount a strong battle against such a proposal should it reach Congress, an ANPA source said Tuesday.

In addition, the Tobacco Institute, a lobbying group that represents the industry in Washington, objected to the proposed ban, saying it would violate the industry’s right to free speech.

But at a news conference after the vote, AMA general counsel Kirk Johnson disagreed, saying: “We wouldn’t have recommended it if we thought it would be a violation of the First Amendment.” He added: “There is nothing to the assertion that because a product may legally be produced that it may be advertised.”

On AIDS, lengthy floor discussion by the 371-member House of Delegates indicated a number of divisions over issues surrounding the deadly disease. The AMA decided not to urge the 50 states to require a test for AIDS antibodies before marriage licenses are issued. A positive antibody test means that a person has been exposed to the disease, not that he or she actually has it or will contract it.

In a report, the AMA said that it was rejecting the antibody test proposal because such tests could be ineffectual and “would unnecessarily increase public anxiety about AIDS.” At the same time, it voted not to consider a resolution condemning discrimination against AIDS victims, most of whom are male homosexuals or drug abusers. Opponents of the resolution argued that it was poorly worded and needed further study.