The Marlborough Man Rides Off The Magazine Pages In School Libraries

This is a good idea that's long overdue:

Tobacco ads in school library editions of Time, Newsweek, People and Sports Illustrated magazines will be eliminated under a nationwide agreement announced Monday.

The deal between publishers, tobacco companies and states attorneys general follows a 2003 agreement by publishers and tobacco companies in which tobacco ads were banned from classroom editions of the magazines.

Monday's agreement _ necessary according to officials since school libraries often don't subscribe to the classroom editions _ provides for "selective binding" of those editions beginning this summer. Tobacco companies have agreed to a publishing method that will keep their ads from school library subscriptions.

A survey by the New York State Department of Health Tobacco Prevention Program found 70 percent of libraries in 223 middle schools and high schools had copies of Time, Newsweek, People and Sports Illustrated with tobacco ads. School libraries said the magazines are among the most popular with students.

"About 2,000 kids become new smokers every day, and about a third of them will eventually die prematurely from smoking-related disease," said Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, co-chairman of the association's Tobacco Committee. "Every step we take is important to reduce this terrible death toll."

Even though cigarette advertising has been banned from television and radio since 1971, tobacco advertising is still commonly found in popular magazines. ---------------------------Entries for tomorrow's edition of The Carnival of Education (Guest hosted by Jenny D) are due tonight by 10:00 PM Eastern. Submissions should be sent to: jdemonte [at] comcast [dot] net. To view last week's Carnival, (as well as entry guidelines) click here.

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