Changes in tobacco advertising in Western Australian newspapers in response to proposed government legislation.

The number of cigarette and tobacco advertisements in the major Western Australian newspapers was counted for the six-month period June to November in the years 1981 and 1983. The latter period covered the introduction of the Western Australian Government's Tobacco (Promotion and Sales) Bill 1983 and the debate surrounding it. The change in the volume of cigarette advertising in Western Australia in those two years was compared with that which occurred in comparable Queensland papers in the same period. Three major factors emerged: (i) the volume of cigarette advertising was much higher in Western Australia in 1983 compared with 1981; (ii) the volume of advertising increased markedly in Western Australia when legislative action was threatened, and remained at very high levels until the Bill failed; and (iii) the number of cigarette advertisements placed in the Queensland papers surveyed fell between 1981 and 1983. The findings are presented in support of the view that the tobacco industry made a powerful and organized attack to defeat the proposed legislation; the means it adopted to do this are discussed.