The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: The objective of this research is to demonstrate how Canada's ‘Tobacco Act' has the potential to result in significant exposure of underage youth to tobacco advertising in magazines. The 1997 Tobacco Act allows tobacco companies to advertise in newspapers and magazines that have at least 85% adult readership, which includes nearly every newspaper and magazine in Canada.

Methods: To better understand the impact of print advertising allowed under the Tobacco Act, this research examines the potential reach of tobacco ads among underage youth aged 12-17, using magazine readership data projections from the Print Measurement Bureau (PMB). This data set contains audience readership information for all of the major English- and French-language magazines in Canada. Sample magazine schedules are used to determine the potential reach among underage youth for monthly and annual magazine campaigns.

Results: There is the potential for tobacco advertising in magazines to reach significant numbers of underage youth. English-language Chatelaine magazine reaches 234,000 underage youth each month, which is 9.6% of Canadian youth aged 12-17. French-language Châtelaine magazine reaches 155,000 underage youth each month, which is 6.3% of Canadian youth aged 12-17 (or more than 20% of the Canada's francophone youth population). Both of these publications meet the 85% adult readership rule, but at the same time, represent large youth readership figures. A full magazine campaign would quickly build up high levels of exposure among underage youth.