# cigarette and liquor advertising on tv **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2000, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349 "2000-05-24T01:05:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349/1 "2000-05-24T01:05:55Z")
I told my (7th grade) students today that cigarette advertising on TV had been outlawed since before they were born. Several said they had seen cig ads on TV. I doubted it, but suggested we do some research. I’m doing mine. We’d also like to know what rules (laws? agreements?) the networks have made about showing/advertising cigarettes and liquor products. Is it against the law? And, since these laws were, I believe, made before the proliferation of cable, are any of them valid anymore? What’s the straight dope on all this? ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349/2 "2000-05-24T01:28:18Z")
I’m pretty sure that there is no law against advertising cigarettes or hard liquor on TV or radio. It’s strictly a voluntary thing. In fact, some local TV stations even ran some liquor ads a while back (good money!). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349/3 "2000-05-24T01:33:30Z")
As I understand it, Uncle Sam passed a law that for every cigarette ad on televison, they had to show three anti-smoking ads. In effect, the tobacco companies would be shooting themselves in the foot if they advertised on television. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349/4 "2000-05-24T01:34:14Z")
1971: 1 January: Cigarette advertising is banned from television in the US . Source:www.ash.org.uk ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349/5 "2000-05-24T11:36:41Z")
IIRC the FCC ban on advertising hard liquor was lifted within the last 3 years or so. Very few television station will accept liquor ads, however, fearing bad publicity. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349/6 "2000-05-24T12:21:15Z")
I’m 35, and I don’t remember any cigarette ads on TV _acting as advertising._ (I have seen archive footage of 50’s and 60’s cigarette ads.) I _do_ remember one of the first anti-smoking ads, though. A little boy and his father are walking and playing in a park. It showed the dad catching a ball, then throwing it to his son, who also caught it. A voice-over said, “Like father, like son.” The did something else heartwarming. Another “Like father, like son.” Then they stop to rest, leaning against a tree. Dad pulls out his cigs, lights one, and drops the pack between him and his son. The boy curiously picks up the pack and examines it. The voice-over queries, “Like father, like son?” Made an impact on me. I started smoking my dad’s cigaretts right away. :D:D:D (JK) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349/7 "2000-05-24T14:41:03Z")
I have seen cigarette ads in recent years on “Famous Commercials” retrospectives. Obviously, they were vintage ads. Trivia: The very last cigarette ad (Virginia Slims) to air in the US was during “The Tonight Show,” and featured Connie Sellecca. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349/8 "2000-05-24T14:43:47Z")
You can advertise beer and low alcoholic beverages till you’re sick in the gut, but after x proof its a no-go. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349/9 "2000-05-24T15:18:11Z")
My previous post was incorrect. The ban on liquor advertising on radio and television was a voluntary industry ban, not an FCC ban. There are now efforts to ban such advertising by law. See [Booze News](http://www.cspinet.org/booze/chronolo.htm) Cigarette advertising on television was banned as of January 1, 1971, according to [Tobacco Explained](http://www.ash.org.uk/papers/tobexpld4.html) I have seen tv ads for smokeless tobacco products. Not full 30-seconds spots, but those short promo spots of about 5 seconds that they tack onto the end of game shows. I haven’t noticed them for a year or two, though. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349/10 "2000-05-24T15:26:57Z")
HorseloverFat, but they cannot drink any of the beer or liquor at all ever in any of the ads. Yes, its possible there are cigaret ads on tv in the background of sports shows. You might see MARLBORO written on someones clothes or backwalls. Also the kids might think the no smoking ads are smoking ads. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2000, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-and-liquor-advertising-on-tv/20349/11 "2000-05-24T19:40:01Z")
I’ve got a CD full of old ads in QuickTime format. A couple of them are black-and-white spots in which The Flintstones shill for Winston. It’s fairly hillarious.