Cigar magazines: using tobacco to sell a lifestyle.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the content of two cigar "lifestyle" magazines, Cigar Aficionado and Smoke.


METHODS
Content analysis of cigar focused articles.


METHODS
Cigar focused articles (n = 353) from Cigar Aficionado and Smoke magazines.


METHODS
Primary focus; mention of health effects, environmental tobacco smoke, or scientific research; quotation and description of individuals; characteristics such as sex, age, ethnicity, smoking status, affiliation, and stance towards cigars; and overall image of cigars.


RESULTS
Cigar business-focused articles were the largest category (40%, n = 143), followed by articles about cigar events (12%, n = 42). Notable were articles featuring cigar benefits to raise money for health charities. Celebrities were featured in 34% (n = 121) of articles and 96% (n = 271) favoured cigar use. Only four (1%) articles featured health effects of cigars as a primary focus.


CONCLUSIONS
Cigar Aficionado and Smoke broke new ground in tobacco marketing by combining promotion of product, lifestyle, and industry in the same vehicle and linking the medium directly to product related events that extended its reach. The creation and marketing of new tobacco use sites challenges the increasing "isolation" of smokers, and positions cigar use as a socially welcome relief from restrictions. Public health advocates should anticipate and challenge other new tobacco marketing vehicles as communications technologies advance and public spaces for smoking shrink.
Wenger
L D
LD
Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143-0936, USA.
Malone
R E
RE
George
A
A
Bero
L A
LA
D000329:Advertising; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000639:trends*; D011641:Public Relations; D019460:Tobacco Industry / Q000639:trends*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology