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Most television programming contains tobacco advertisements

By Staff Writer

Kids tend to watch large amounts of television on their downtime, but even those who view it in moderation may be exposed to dangerous images of drugs.

A report recently released in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine showed that there is a high amount of tobacco imaging on television shows, and many of these are viewed by children. As drug use among kids remains a problem across the country, regulating advertising may be a necessary step toward stopping the the trend.

Cheryl Healton, who helped conduct the research, said that 30 percent of media intake in kids between the ages of 8 and 18 was television. Throughout the study, almost 1 million individuals were exposed to tobacco advertisements. Many of these came in the form of an actor holding a cigarette or a billboard in a fictional show depicting tobacco.

The FOX Network had the highest rate of cigarette advertisements in their programming at 44 percent. Approximately 40 percent of the television shows examined, including Family Guy and Gossip Girl, had tobacco advertising.

Smoking can cut an individual's life span short by up to 14 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drug rehab programs can help teens who have begun smoking and are looking to kick their nicotine addiction. 

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