The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #57391

Elizabeth A. Smith, PhD¹, Naphtali Offen, BS¹, and Ruth E. Malone, RN, PhD². (1) Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0612, San Francisco, CA 94143-0612, 415-502-5238, libbys@itsa.ucsf.edu, (2) Center for Tobacco Control Research & Education, University of California, San Francisco, 530 Parnassus, Suite 366, Box 1390, San Francisco, CA 94143-1390

Tobacco advertising in media has been positively correlated with reduced coverage of tobacco-related health hazards. To determine the prevalence of tobacco-related items in the national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) press, and to evaluate the perspective of the content we searched for and retrieved all tobacco-related material published in the 5 most prominent national LGBT magazines from 1990 through 2000 and conducted a content analysis. We located 290 editorial items and 370 advertisements. Very few articles in LGBT magazines addressed tobacco-related health hazards or tobacco control efforts. Photographs or illustrations of people smoking were found in all magazines, regardless of the presence of advertising. Cigarette ads first appeared in the gay press in the early 1990s and increased throughout the decade. With few exceptions, the LGBT press did not consider smoking an issue of concern. LGBT national magazines glamorized smoking and avoided discussion of tobacco addiction and disease. Tobacco advertising became a persistent presence in the LGBT press. Marginalized populations such as the LGBT community may depend on their press to provide relevant information and social cues pertaining to identity. Thus, both text and images may be particularly salient in such communities. LGBT tobacco control activists should monitor their press for tobacco content and coverage of tobacco-related health problems. Advocates should publicly challenge the influence of tobacco industry advertising and promotion, creating alliances with the larger LGBT health and mainstream tobacco control movements.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to:
• Compare the influence of tobacco advertising and promotion to items that promote tobacco control in the LGBT press.
• Understand why the LGBT community is especially vulnerable to the influence of the tobacco industry in the LGBT press.
• Identify appropriate community responses to counter tobacco influence in the LGBT press.

Keywords: Tobacco Policy, Gay

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.