Tobacco advertising through French TV in 2005: frequent illicit broadcasting; its impact on teenagers and young adults.
BACKGROUND
Sports sponsorship is one of the tobacco industry's main strategies to recruit new smokers among teenagers and young adults.


METHODS
Monitoring Motor sports illicit broadcasting based on six channels in 2005; Dakar Rally (DR) and China Grand Prix impact evaluated with a one on one questionnaire administered on 12-24-year-old males and females (n = 805).


RESULTS
75,000 TV tobacco sponsoring appearances (90 h) were observed, total value: euro200.10(6); Mild Seven, Marlboro, West, Lucky Strike, Gauloises Blondes accounted for 92% appearances and 95% of euro values, with illegal broadcasting value worth euro19.10(6). A high interest in DR (71%) and Formula One (F1) (66%) was observed among males (versus females; P < 0.001), increasing with age (P < 0.05). Levels of spontaneous and assisted recall of cigarette brands were high among individuals interested in DR and F1, with better recall of brand names (versus non interested; P < 0.01); all individuals made correct associations between tobacco brands and car colors (P < 0.01). A non-significant higher percentage of daily smokers was observed among respondents interested in DR (34 versus 21%; P < 0.01) and F1 (30 versus 24%; P = 0.10).


CONCLUSIONS
This high level of indirect advertising for tobacco through motor sport sponsoring confirms the urgent need for a worldwide absolute ban on tobacco advertising in motor sports.
Béguinot
Emmanuelle
E
Comité National Contre le Tabagisme, Paris, France.
Gallopel-Morvan
Karine
K
Wirth
Nathalie
N
Spinosa
Anna
A
Martinet
Yves
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000329:Advertising; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013177:Sports; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013690:Television; D055815:Young Adult