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

Abstract #72251

Ian M. Newman, PhD, Joseph M. Berning, MS, and Heather Pearson, BS. Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 257 Mabel Lee Hall, P.O.Box 880229, Lincoln, NE 688588-0229, 402-472-3844, inewman1@unl.edu

A six months sample of 43 newspapers were screened for all references to tobacco. Of the 664 articles, letters to the editor, editorials and editorial cartoons, 45% dealt with tobacco taxes, 20% with general health information, 16% with environmental tobacco smoke, 9% with access to minors, 6% with youth empowerment, and 4% with FDA regulations. Among the newspaper clippings dealing with tobacco taxes, 11% were judged to be pro-tobacco, 8% anti-tobacco, and 82% were neutral. Of the neutral clippings on tobacco taxes, the most prevalent reason given was income generation (87%). Only 13% gave health/social related issues as a reason — 5% referenced the possibilities that smokers would quit, 5% that the increased tax would discourage minors from smoking, 2% that anticipated lower smoking rates would reduce medical costs, and 1% that the increased tax would indirectly reduce environmental tobacco smoke. Of the 664 clippings on tobacco related issues, 80% were published during the three months the legislature was in session. Tobacco print media references were significantly affected by the actions of the State legislature and the failure of this press coverage to reference health related issues reflects the inability of the 14 local tobacco coalitions and 2 statewide coalitions to capture the attention of the press. The role of the press in public health education about tobacco in a largely rural State is discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• At the end of this session, the participant will be able to 1)understand how newspaper media in a rural state is influenced by state legislature and 2)how little health issues are addressed in newspapers regarding tobacco control policies.

Keywords: Tobacco Control, Tobacco Taxation

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.