# Are tobacco ads allowed online?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tobacco-ads-allowed-online/104572>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 19, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tobacco-ads-allowed-online/104572 "2002-04-19T20:18:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tobacco-ads-allowed-online/104572/1 "2002-04-19T20:18:01Z")

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I’ve seen lots of ads for lots of things, many of dubious legality, but I don’t recall any online ads for cigarettes.

Are tobacco companies forbidden by law from advertising online?

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tobacco-ads-allowed-online/104572/2 "2002-04-19T20:50:14Z")

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From the [1997 tobacco settlement](http://www.lawpublish.com/tobacco/s1415.html):

> [@](#):
>
> Section 101 © PROHIBITION ON ADVERTISING ON THE INTERNET- No manufacturer, distributor, or retailer may use the Internet to advertise tobacco products unless such an advertisement is inaccessible in or from the United States.