The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for a ban on all tobacco advertising and limitations on alcohol ads preventing the exposure of these to children and adolescents.

The AAP made these recommendations in its new policy statement, "Children, Adolescents, Substance Abuse, and the Media," which was published in the October issue of Pediatrics.

According to the authors of the statement; despite the efforts of parents, schools and the federal government to get children and teenagers to say no to alcohol and drugs, there is more than $25 billion worth of cigarette, alcohol and prescription drug advertising getting them to say the opposite.

The group claims alcohol and tobacco pose the greatest danger to children because they are the first legal drugs they are exposed to.

The group noted that research has suggested a link between advertising and almost one-third of adolescent tobacco and alcohol use.

More than 400,000 people die every year in the United States from smoking-related illnesses, according to the policy statement. More than 100,000 deaths can be attributed to excessive alcohol consumption.

The group is targeting advertising because advertising may be responsible for as much as 30 percent of alcohol and tobacco use, the authors say.

In addition to a ban in tobacco advertising the AAP would like to see an end to smoking scenes in movies and say any actor smoking in a movie should not be glamorized.

Teenage magazines contain almost 50% more advertisements for beer than magazines aimed at adults.