Adolescents ’ Perceptions of Print Cigarette Advertising:

Cigarette smoking is a major preventable cause of serious chronic disease. The majority of smokers begin smoking during their adolescent years. Print cigarette advertising plays an inuential role in encouraging young people to smoke. Eight hundred and forty ± three middle/junior high ± school ± aged students from a large mid± western metropolitan area participated in this study of adolescents ’ recognition of and belief in messages associated with print cigarette advertising. Results indicated no signicant di erence between smokers and nonsmokers in their recognition of messages associated with print cigarette advertising. However, smokers and non± smokers di ered signicantly in the degree to which they believed the messages communicated by print cigarette advertising. Consistent with social cognitive theory, students who smoke at least occasionally were more likely to believe mes± sages conveyed by print cigarette ads than were students who had never smoked. Implications of these ndings for research and practice are discussed, including specication of guidelines for e ective counteradvertising. Recent medical research has clearly demonstrated that nicotine is an addictive drug