Cigarette Advertising and Public Policy

The issue of a partial or total ban on the advertising of cigarettes and/or tobacco products has been the focus of substantial public policy debate for a number of years in several countries. As far back as the early 1970s, Hamilton carefully examined the effects of the ban on electronic media cigarette advertising imposed in 1971 in the United States and concluded that the advertising ban did not have a significant effect in reducing total demand for cigarettes. Bishop and Yoo, using a more complex econometric specification, also reached essentially the same conclusion. Hamilton also examined the demand for cigarettes in eleven countries and concluded that advertising bans had little effect on cigarette demand. Finally, Boddewyn presents data from 16 countries which suggest strongly that advertising bans have not had the effects expected by those advocating their introduction.