Tobacco Advertisements in Patient Areas

Whereas, In 1996 Med Chi passed resolution 26-96 resulting in a letter from Med Chi to every managed care organization, hospital, and county health department in Maryland, asking them to establish a policy against the display of tobacco advertising, (in the form of magazines) in patient areas,

Whereas, This resulted in numerous supportive letters from health organizations around the state, increased the awareness of advertising's role in increasing tobacco addiction rates, and cast Med Chi in a positive light,

Whereas, Tobacco advertising functions primarily to increase smoking rates by influencing non-smokers to start, and by causing smokers to be less likely to quit,

Whereas, This function of tobacco advertising is extensively documented throughout the peer reviewed medical literature,

Whereas, The tobacco industry spends over six billion dollars per year in marketing (over $10,000 per minute). More money is spent to promote tobacco in one day than the U.S. Government spend in one year to discourage it,

Whereas, These marketing expenditures tend to overwhelm and counteract efforts by school systems, government, and the to medical community to decrease smoking rates, particularly when advertisements are displayed in health care settings, and

Whereas, The role of health care purchasers, administrators and insurers is essential in establishing environments for effective tobacco intervention, according to practice guidelines published by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, and

Whereas, Tobacco is, by far, the nation's number one health problem, killing more Americans than the next six causes of preventable death put together, and tobacco causes one out of five of all deaths in this country every year, and

Whereas, The elimination of tobacco advertisements in patient waiting rooms is encouraged by numerous authors of peer reviewed medical articles, as well as The National Cancer Institute's monograph on smoking cessation,

Whereas, Print ads have become the principle means tobacco advertising since the Master Settlement Agreement eliminated tobacco billboard ads, which led within one year to a nearly $28 million dollar, 33 percent, increase in tobacco advertising expenditures in magazines with significant youth readership, and

Whereas, An excellent selection of popular periodicals without tobacco advertisements is available,

Resolved, That MedChi encourage health care institutions in Maryland, including private medical offices, managed care organizations, hospitals, and county health departments, to adopt a policy against the display in patient areas of periodicals and printed material containing tobacco advertisements; and be it further

Resolved, That the MedChi Board of Trustees mail each managed care organization, hospital, and county health department in Maryland the following: (1) a copy of this resolution, (2) a bibliography of advertising's role increasing tobacco addiction, and (3) a list of popular magazines without tobacco ads, and be it further