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AJPH NEWS Release

EMBARGOED UNTIL May 29, 2002, 11:00 AM (ET)
CONTACT: For copies of articles, call Kendra Fitzgordon, (202) 777-2436

All articles are online at www.ajph.org

American Journal of Public Health: June 2002 Highlights

• Philip Morris Anti-Smoking Campaign Found To Be Counterproductive
• Smoking Rates For Chinese American Men Exceed Previous Estimates
• Quitting Smoking After 65 Adds Years To Life
• Tobacco-Related Deaths In Poor Countries To Rise Sharply
• California Anti-Smoking Program Makes More Progress With Adults Than With Youth

The articles highlighted below appear in the June 2002 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, the Journal of the American Public Health Association.

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Philip Morris Anti-Smoking Campaign Found To Be Counterproductive
A new study finds Philip Morris's "Think, Don't Smoke" campaign actually leaves young people more open to the idea of smoking. The study examined how the American Legacy Foundation's "truth" campaign and the Philip Morris campaign have influenced youths' attitudes, beliefs and intentions toward tobacco. Exposure to the "truth" countermarketing advertisements was consistently associated with an increase in anti-tobacco attitudes and beliefs, whereas exposure to Philip Morris's ads generally was not. Researchers used telephone surveys of 12-17-year olds.
[From: "Getting to the Truth: Evaluating National Tobacco Countermarketing Campaigns." Contact: Matthew Farrelly, Research Triangle Institute, (919) 541-6852]

Smoking Rates For Chinese American Men Exceed Previous Estimates
A new survey of Chinese Americans finds smoking rates among men higher than those reported in California and in prominent national surveys. Smoking prevalence was 34 percent for men and two percent for women. The rate among men exceeded the smoking prevalence for African Americans ages 18 years and older, and is comparable with the rate for African American males ages 45-64. Low education, use of a non-Western physician or clinic for health care, and no knowledge of early cancer warning signs and symptoms were significantly associated with smoking among men. Researchers used a Chinese questionnaire to survey 644 Chinese Americans ages 40-69 in Chicago's Chinatown.
[From: "Smoking Among Chinese Americans: Behavior, Knowledge, and Beliefs." Contact: Elena Yu, (858) 454-9928]

Quitting Smoking After 65 Adds Years To Life
Individuals who quit smoking late in life can add years to their lives, according to a new study of more than 877,000 smokers that examined the link between smoking and mortality. Compared with people who continued to smoke, male smokers who quit at age 65 gained 1.4 to two years of life, while women gained 2.7 to 3.7 years. For people who quit at age 35, men can extend their lives by 6.9 to 8.5 years, and women 6.1 to 7.7 years. Smokers who quit at younger ages realized greater life extensions.
[From: "Benefits of Smoking Cessation for Longevity." Contact: Donald H. Taylor Jr., Duke University, (919) 684-2361]

Tobacco-Related Deaths In Poor Countries To Rise Sharply
With 80 percent of the world's 1.1 billion smokers, low- or middle-income countries can expect dramatic increases in tobacco-related deaths in years to come. A new study estimating smoking prevalence in 1995 worldwide finds that 29 percent of individuals ages 15 or older were regular smokers. East Asian countries accounted for a disproportionately high percentage (38 percent) of the world's smokers. Males accounted for 80 percent of all smokers, and smoking rates were highest among those ages 30 to 49. The authors conclude that "Although much excess mortality can be prevented if smokers stop smoking, quitting remains rare in low- and middle-income countries."
[From: "Estimates of Global and Regional Smoking Prevalence in 1995, by Age and Sex." Contact: Prabhat Jha, WHO, 41-22-791-3364]

California Anti-Smoking Program Makes More Progress With Adults Than With Youth
A new study has shown that the California Tobacco Control Program (CTCP) has made significant headway in getting adults to quit smoking while having no discernable effect on smoking rates among youths thus far. Counties with high exposure to community and media tobacco control programs showed decreased adult smoking prevalence rates, increased smoke-free homes and decreased violations of workplace no-smoking policies. Among youths, however, exposure to a combination of school, community and media programs was not related to changes in smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke. Researchers surveyed adults in 18 California counties in 1996 and 1998. Tenth graders in 84 high schools completed written surveys. Although exposure to the program did not explain the declines in youth smoking that occurred, the researchers surmised that the "CTCP may be changing social norms about the acceptability of tobacco use and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke."
[From: "Independent Evaluation of the California Tobacco Control Program: Relationships Between Program Exposure and Outcomes, 1996-1998." Contact: Louise Ann Rohrbach, University of Southern California, (626) 457-6642]

The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly Journal of the American Public Health Association, the oldest and largest organization of public health professionals in the world and the foremost publisher of public health-related books and periodicals promoting high scientific standards, action programs and policy for good health. The Journal is online at www.ajph.org.

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