The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) has reached an agreement with Time, Inc. and Newsweek, Inc. to eliminate tobacco advertising from school library editions of Time, People, Sports Illustrated and Newsweek.
“This is a major success in our continuing efforts to reduce the marketing of tobacco products to children,” said New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in a statement. “I want to applaud Time and Newsweek for joining this effort and helping to remove tobacco advertisements from the school library editions of these magazines.”
In November 2003, the AGs reached an agreement with the major tobacco companies to have tobacco ads removed from classroom editions of magazines. However, numerous school libraries subscribe to the regular editions of magazines, rather than the classroom editions, meaning many elementary and secondary school students are still exposed to tobacco ads.
“About 2,000 kids become new smokers every day, and about a third of them will eventually die prematurely from smoking-related disease,” said Iowa AG Tom Miller in a statement. “Every step we take is important to reduce this terrible death toll.”
Both publishers agreed to create a selective binding option for all tobacco companies, which ensures the removal of all tobacco advertisements from the four magazines. These arrangements will be in place this summer, prior to the commencement of the new school year.
In response, Philip Morris reported that it had already stopped advertising in the four magazines, and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. agreed to “selective binding” arrangements.
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