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As part of a settlement with the states in 1998, the biggest tobacco companies said they would stop advertising in magazines with significant numbers of young readers. Three years later, that promise is largely unfulfilled.
Ads from three of the four major tobacco companies continue to appear in magazines like Rolling Stone, People, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated and TV Guide.
Rolling Stone's latest issue features the young female stars of "American Pie 2" on the cover, as well as articles about kung fu movies and rap music. It also contains advertisements for Winston and Camel cigarettes. The Winston ad is a two- page spread near the front of the magazine.
Three of the four biggest tobacco companies R. J. Reynolds, Brown & Williamson and Lorillard say they continue such advertising because the limits they agreed to in 1998 were only guidelines, not laws. By contrast, Philip Morris, the largest tobacco company, has followed the guidelines. A year ago, it stopped advertising in 50 magazines with young readers.
Bill Lockyer, the attorney general of California who participated in the settlement three years ago, disputed the tobacco companies' version.
In the 1998 settlement, the tobacco companies signed on to follow guidelines agreed to by most of the 46 attorneys general involved in the suit: that cigarette advertisements not appear in magazines if more than 15 percent of the readers are under 18, or if more than two million of the readers are under 18.
Mr. Lockyer said the companies were violating what they had pledged in writing. According to the agreement, the companies promised never to "take any action directly or indirectly to target youth" in the "advertising, promotion or marketing of tobacco products." He is suing R. J. Reynolds over it.
"R. J. Reynolds and other companies agreed not to market to kids, and based on our surveys, they still are," he said.
Mr. Lockyer says that based on his research, Americans age 12 to 17 will be exposed to at least 50 cigarette ads in magazines each year. He adds that the tobacco companies have a compelling reason to violate the settlement.
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