Does tobacco sports sponsorship on television act as advertising to children?

A REPRESENTATIVE survey of 880 children in first, third, and fifth years was carried out in five secon dary schools in one education authority using an anonymous questionnaire. It was found that children were most aware of the cigarette brands which are most frequently associated with sponsored sporting events on TV. Children's TV viewing of a recent snooker championship sponsored by one cigarette manufacturer was positively correlated with the proportion of children associating that brand, and other brands used in TV sponsorship, with sport. Following a snooker championship sponsored by another cigarette manufacturer, a second survey was carried out on a new sample showing that awareness of this brand, and the proportion of children associating it with sport, had increased from the first survey. This demonstrates that the TV sports spon sorship by tobacco manufacturers acts as cigarette advertising to children and therefore circumvents the law banning cigarette advertisments on TV.