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Objective: Evaluate the impact of the first pictorial health warning labels (HWLs) on cigarette packs in Mexico., Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 1 765 adult smokers from Guadalajara, Mexico, 2010. Logistic regression models were estimated to determine the association between recall of having purchased a pack with a pictorial HWL and psychosocial variables indicating their impact., Results: 58% reported having purchased a pack with one of the pictorial HWLs, and these were considered the exposed population. Exposed smokers reported a greater frequency of thinking about smoking-related risks (34 vs. 25% p=0.003), and thinking about quitting smoking (23 vs. 14% p=0.001). Exposure to pictorial HWLs was also associated with a greater acceptability of HWLs as a means of communicating with smokers (93 vs. 87% p<0.001), as was the perception that the government communicates well about tobacco-related health risks (68 vs. 55% p<0.001)., Conclusion: Pictorial HWLs have made smokers think more about these risks and about quitting smoking. This policy should continue to be exploited as a cost-effective educational intervention.

Objective: To determine in a population-based sample of smokers the level exposure to tobacco industry marketing through different channels before and after their restriction through the General Tobacco Control Law of 2008., Materials and Methods: Data were analyzed from a cohort of adult smokers from four Mexican cities who were surveyed in 2007 and 2008. GEE models were estimated for each indicator of advertising and promotion exposure., Results: Increases were found in report of receiving free samples of tobacco (3.7-8.1%), branded clothing (3.6-6.4%), noticing tobacco industry sponsored events (1.9-4.7%) and noticing ads in bars (21.4-28%). Noticing outdoor advertising decreased over this time (54.7 a 47.2%)., Conclusions: Our findings confirm tobacco industry shifting of marketing efforts when advertising and promotion bans are not comprehensive. There is a need to monitor compliance with marketing bans while working to make them comprehensive.

Objective: Alcohol advertising correlates with consumption, particularly in young people. We studied the evolution of the amounts spent on alcoholic beverages advertising and on advertising as a whole in conventional media in Spain during the period 1995-2005., Methods: We analyzed the amounts spent on advertising in total and on alcoholic beverages advertising by studying the annual INFOADEX Survey on Advertising Investment in Spain in conventional media (TV, radio, the press, billboards and Internet). The results were subdivided into the periods 1995-2000 and 2001-2005., Results: In the period 1995-2000 there was an increase (Delta) in alcoholic beverages advertising expenditure, from 268 to 347 million euro (Delta=29.5%), but a decrease in its percentage of advertising as a whole (from 7.6% to 6.1%). In the period 2001-2005 there was a rise in alcohol advertising expenditure from 145 to 186 million euro(Delta=28.0%), and also in its percentage of total advertising (from 2.7% to 2.8%). In 2001-2005, spending by Regional governments on preventive advertising increased from 22 to 52 million euro (Delta=136%)., Conclusions: Alcohol advertising expenditure remains high in Spain, with young people as a primary target. In contrast, there is only modest investment in preventive advertising. Regulatory measures are necessary with a view to protecting populations especially susceptible to uncontrolled consumption.