Many people argue that tobacco advertising plays a crucial role in causing teenagers to start or continue smoking. In Norway, however, where there has been a ban on tobacco advertising since 1975, smoking is at least as prevalent among teenagers as it is in countries that do not ban such advertising.
Which of the following statements draws the most reliable conclusion from the information above?
(A) Tobacco advertising cannot be the only factor that affects the prevalence of smoking among teenagers.
(B) Advertising does not play a role in causing teenagers to start or continue smoking.
(C) Banning tobacco advertising does not reduce the consumption of tobacco.
(D) More teen-agers smoke if they are not exposed to tobacco advertising than if they are.
(E) Most teen-agers who smoked in 1975 did not stop when the ban on tobacco advertising was implemented.
OA: A
Official CR: Many people argue that tobacco advertising
This topic has expert replies
-
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 944
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 8:21 am
- Thanked: 8 times
- Followed by:5 members
- DavidG@VeritasPrep
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 2663
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
- Location: Boston, MA
- Thanked: 1153 times
- Followed by:128 members
- GMAT Score:770
Boiled way down: In Norway teenage smoking is as prevalent as it is in other countries, despite a long-time advertising ban. Clearly, if these kids began smoking in the absence of advertising, there had to have been a factor other than advertising that prompted them to start. Captured in A.RBBmba@2014 wrote:Many people argue that tobacco advertising plays a crucial role in causing teenagers to start or continue smoking. In Norway, however, where there has been a ban on tobacco advertising since 1975, smoking is at least as prevalent among teenagers as it is in countries that do not ban such advertising.
Which of the following statements draws the most reliable conclusion from the information above?
(A) Tobacco advertising cannot be the only factor that affects the prevalence of smoking among teenagers.
(B) Advertising does not play a role in causing teenagers to start or continue smoking.
(C) Banning tobacco advertising does not reduce the consumption of tobacco.
(D) More teen-agers smoke if they are not exposed to tobacco advertising than if they are.
(E) Most teen-agers who smoked in 1975 did not stop when the ban on tobacco advertising was implemented.
OA: A
- DavidG@VeritasPrep
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 2663
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
- Location: Boston, MA
- Thanked: 1153 times
- Followed by:128 members
- GMAT Score:770
Put another way, if advertising were the only factor that impacted the prevalence of smoking in teenagers, it wouldn't make any sense for smoking rates to be no different in a country that banned advertising.RBBmba@2014 wrote:Many people argue that tobacco advertising plays a crucial role in causing teenagers to start or continue smoking. In Norway, however, where there has been a ban on tobacco advertising since 1975, smoking is at least as prevalent among teenagers as it is in countries that do not ban such advertising.
Which of the following statements draws the most reliable conclusion from the information above?
(A) Tobacco advertising cannot be the only factor that affects the prevalence of smoking among teenagers.
(B) Advertising does not play a role in causing teenagers to start or continue smoking.
(C) Banning tobacco advertising does not reduce the consumption of tobacco.
(D) More teen-agers smoke if they are not exposed to tobacco advertising than if they are.
(E) Most teen-agers who smoked in 1975 did not stop when the ban on tobacco advertising was implemented.
OA: A
GMAT/MBA Expert
- Brent@GMATPrepNow
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 16207
- Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pm
- Location: Vancouver, BC
- Thanked: 5254 times
- Followed by:1268 members
- GMAT Score:770
David's rationale is perfect.RBBmba@2014 wrote:Many people argue that tobacco advertising plays a crucial role in causing teenagers to start or continue smoking. In Norway, however, where there has been a ban on tobacco advertising since 1975, smoking is at least as prevalent among teenagers as it is in countries that do not ban such advertising.
Which of the following statements draws the most reliable conclusion from the information above?
(A) Tobacco advertising cannot be the only factor that affects the prevalence of smoking among teenagers.
(B) Advertising does not play a role in causing teenagers to start or continue smoking.
(C) Banning tobacco advertising does not reduce the consumption of tobacco.
(D) More teen-agers smoke if they are not exposed to tobacco advertising than if they are.
(E) Most teen-agers who smoked in 1975 did not stop when the ban on tobacco advertising was implemented.
OA: A
However, here's a backup strategy to consider:
Negate each answer choice. If the NEGATED answer choice contradict the given information, then it is the correct answer.
So A, when negated, becomes Tobacco advertising IS the only factor that affects the prevalence of smoking among teenagers.
This negated answer choice makes no sense since we're told that there's no tobacco advertising in Norway and the teenagers there smoke just as much as teenagers in countries that have tobacco advertising.
So, the correct answer is A
-
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 944
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 8:21 am
- Thanked: 8 times
- Followed by:5 members
Dave/Brent,
While I understand your reply, but still got a doubt on the OA:
It could be the case that even if "tobacco advertising" is the the ONLY determinant/factor as far as the prevalence of smoking among teenagers is concerned, then also country with BAN on advertising is having similar prevalence to the country with NO ban because country with BAN had higher smoking rate before the the BAN and post-BAN thus the prevalence has become similar to that of the country with NO ban. Thus, negation in this case doesn't seem to hit the PREMISE in the ARGUMENT .
Why it will be wrong ?
As for Option D: It's clearly wrong since it goes the against the notion/central idea of the ARGUMENT. An Inference can't got against the ARGUMENT. Am I correct ?
While I understand your reply, but still got a doubt on the OA:
It could be the case that even if "tobacco advertising" is the the ONLY determinant/factor as far as the prevalence of smoking among teenagers is concerned, then also country with BAN on advertising is having similar prevalence to the country with NO ban because country with BAN had higher smoking rate before the the BAN and post-BAN thus the prevalence has become similar to that of the country with NO ban. Thus, negation in this case doesn't seem to hit the PREMISE in the ARGUMENT .
Why it will be wrong ?
As for Option D: It's clearly wrong since it goes the against the notion/central idea of the ARGUMENT. An Inference can't got against the ARGUMENT. Am I correct ?
- DavidG@VeritasPrep
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 2663
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
- Location: Boston, MA
- Thanked: 1153 times
- Followed by:128 members
- GMAT Score:770
Details. The ban was implemented in 1975. We're talking about the prevalence of smoking in teenagers today. We can safely assume that today's teenagers were not smoking before the ban because they wouldn't be born for over two decades! So all of Norway's current teenagers began smoking once the ban was in place, meaning that it had to have been some other determinant that led them to begin.It could be the case that even if "tobacco advertising" is the the ONLY determinant/factor as far as the prevalence of smoking among teenagers is concerned, then also country with BAN on advertising is having similar prevalence to the country with NO ban because country with BAN had higher smoking rate before the the BAN and post-BAN thus the prevalence has become similar to that of the country with NO ban. Thus, negation in this case doesn't seem to hit the PREMISE in the ARGUMENT
- DavidG@VeritasPrep
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 2663
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
- Location: Boston, MA
- Thanked: 1153 times
- Followed by:128 members
- GMAT Score:770
Precisely.As for Option D: It's clearly wrong since it goes the against the notion/central idea of the ARGUMENT. An Inference can't got against the ARGUMENT. Am I correct ?
- GMATGuruNY
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 15539
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
- Location: New York, NY
- Thanked: 13060 times
- Followed by:1906 members
- GMAT Score:790
An inference is a statement that MUST BE TRUE, given the information in the passage.RBBmba@2014 wrote:Dave/Brent,
While I understand your reply, but still got a doubt on the OA:
It could be the case that even if "tobacco advertising" is the the ONLY determinant/factor as far as the prevalence of smoking among teenagers is concerned, then also country with BAN on advertising is having similar prevalence to the country with NO ban because country with BAN had higher smoking rate before the the BAN and post-BAN thus the prevalence has become similar to that of the country with NO ban. Thus, negation in this case doesn't seem to hit the PREMISE in the ARGUMENT .
Why it will be wrong ?
One approach is to apply the NEGATION TEST.
When the correct answer choice is negated, the passage will be contradicted.
Passage:
In Norway, where there has been a ban on tobacco advertising since 1975, smoking is at least as prevalent among teenagers as it is in countries that do not ban such advertising.
In other words, countries with tobacco advertising do NOT have more teenage smoking than Norway, which bans tobacco advertising.
A, negated:
Tobacco advertising is the only factor that affects the prevalence of smoking among teenagers.
Implication:
Countries with tobacco advertising MUST HAVE MORE teenage smoking than countries without tobacco advertising, since tobacco advertising is the ONLY factor that affects the prevalence of teenage smoking.
The negation of A contradicts the portion in red and thus the passage.
Since the negation of A contradicts the passage, A is a valid inference: a statement that MUST BE TRUE, given the information in the passage.
The correct answer is A.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.
As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.
For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.
As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.
For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
-
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 944
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 8:21 am
- Thanked: 8 times
- Followed by:5 members
Hi Dave,DavidG@VeritasPrep wrote:Details. The ban was implemented in 1975. We're talking about the prevalence of smoking in teenagers today. We can safely assume that today's teenagers were not smoking before the ban because they wouldn't be born for over two decades! So all of Norway's current teenagers began smoking once the ban was in place, meaning that it had to have been some other determinant that led them to begin.It could be the case that even if "tobacco advertising" is the the ONLY determinant/factor as far as the prevalence of smoking among teenagers is concerned, then also country with BAN on advertising is having similar prevalence to the country with NO ban because country with BAN had higher smoking rate before the the BAN and post-BAN thus the prevalence has become similar to that of the country with NO ban. Thus, negation in this case doesn't seem to hit the PREMISE in the ARGUMENT
I understand the point you're trying to make here...
But my concern was that say,now in Norway 20% teenagers smoke - same rate as in the country where advertising is BANNED. But prior to 1975 in Norway when there was NO BAN, say, 40% teenagers used to smoke.
So, in this situation how the point I raised in the above quote is to be dealt with ?
- DavidG@VeritasPrep
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 2663
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
- Location: Boston, MA
- Thanked: 1153 times
- Followed by:128 members
- GMAT Score:770
Let's take that example and see if it can hold, logically. Say that advertising is the only factor that influences teenage smoking rates. Now we'll say that in 1974 there were 100 teenagers in Norway and 40 of them smoke. We'll also say that in 2017 there are 100 teenagers and 20 of them smoke. Could it be true that smoking ads were the only factor that contributed to smoking rates?RBBmba@2014 wrote:Hi Dave,DavidG@VeritasPrep wrote:Details. The ban was implemented in 1975. We're talking about the prevalence of smoking in teenagers today. We can safely assume that today's teenagers were not smoking before the ban because they wouldn't be born for over two decades! So all of Norway's current teenagers began smoking once the ban was in place, meaning that it had to have been some other determinant that led them to begin.It could be the case that even if "tobacco advertising" is the the ONLY determinant/factor as far as the prevalence of smoking among teenagers is concerned, then also country with BAN on advertising is having similar prevalence to the country with NO ban because country with BAN had higher smoking rate before the the BAN and post-BAN thus the prevalence has become similar to that of the country with NO ban. Thus, negation in this case doesn't seem to hit the PREMISE in the ARGUMENT
I understand the point you're trying to make here...
But my concern was that say,now in Norway 20% teenagers smoke - same rate as in the country where advertising is BANNED. But prior to 1975 in Norway when there was NO BAN, say, 40% teenagers used to smoke.
So, in this situation how the point I raised in the above quote is to be dealt with ?
Well, in 2017, the 40 smoking teenagers from 1974 are all middle-aged. So it's not as though the advertising ban dropped the number of smokers in this population from 40 to 20. Rather, we've got 40 middle-aged smokers (we'll say that no one was able to quit for simplicity's sake) and 20 new teenage smokers. How could smoking ads be the only determining factor for those 20 new smokers if the ads were banned before they were born? So in this scenario there has to be some other variable prompting those 20 smokers to begin smoking. Maybe it was peer pressure. Maybe it was the subconscious influence of movie scenes. Who knows? Ads might have been one factor for some of the 40 smokers in 1974. And the absence of ads might help explain why there aren't more smokers in 2017. But they cannot, logically, be the only factor that influences smoking rates.
-
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 944
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 8:21 am
- Thanked: 8 times
- Followed by:5 members
I think, this time I got you -- the KEY here is : "How could smoking ads be the only determining factor for those 20 new smokers if the ads were banned before they were born?". Right ?DavidG@VeritasPrep wrote:Let's take that example and see if it can hold, logically. Say that advertising is the only factor that influences teenage smoking rates. Now we'll say that in 1974 there were 100 teenagers in Norway and 40 of them smoke. We'll also say that in 2017 there are 100 teenagers and 20 of them smoke. Could it be true that smoking ads were the only factor that contributed to smoking rates?RBBmba@2014 wrote:Hi Dave,
I understand the point you're trying to make here...
But my concern was that say,now in Norway 20% teenagers smoke - same rate as in the country where advertising is BANNED. But prior to 1975 in Norway when there was NO BAN, say, 40% teenagers used to smoke.
So, in this situation how the point I raised in the above quote is to be dealt with ?
Well, in 2017, the 40 smoking teenagers from 1974 are all middle-aged. So it's not as though the advertising ban dropped the number of smokers in this population from 40 to 20. Rather, we've got 40 middle-aged smokers (we'll say that no one was able to quit for simplicity's sake) and 20 new teenage smokers. How could smoking ads be the only determining factor for those 20 new smokers if the ads were banned before they were born? So in this scenario there has to be some other variable prompting those 20 smokers to begin smoking. Maybe it was peer pressure. Maybe it was the subconscious influence of movie scenes. Who knows? Ads might have been one factor for some of the 40 smokers in 1974. And the absence of ads might help explain why there aren't more smokers in 2017. But they cannot, logically, be the only factor that influences smoking rates.
Essentially, it means that if if "tobacco advertising" is the the ONLY determinant/factor as far as the prevalence of smoking among teenagers is concerned, then in absence of this "tobacco advertising" how this new group of teenagers are taking up smoking in Norway -- so, that means there must be some other factor/aspect influencing smoking habits among teenagers.
Did I get you right ?
- DavidG@VeritasPrep
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 2663
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
- Location: Boston, MA
- Thanked: 1153 times
- Followed by:128 members
- GMAT Score:770
Exactly.RBBmba@2014 wrote:I think, this time I got you -- the KEY here is : "How could smoking ads be the only determining factor for those 20 new smokers if the ads were banned before they were born?". Right ?DavidG@VeritasPrep wrote:Let's take that example and see if it can hold, logically. Say that advertising is the only factor that influences teenage smoking rates. Now we'll say that in 1974 there were 100 teenagers in Norway and 40 of them smoke. We'll also say that in 2017 there are 100 teenagers and 20 of them smoke. Could it be true that smoking ads were the only factor that contributed to smoking rates?RBBmba@2014 wrote:Hi Dave,
I understand the point you're trying to make here...
But my concern was that say,now in Norway 20% teenagers smoke - same rate as in the country where advertising is BANNED. But prior to 1975 in Norway when there was NO BAN, say, 40% teenagers used to smoke.
So, in this situation how the point I raised in the above quote is to be dealt with ?
Well, in 2017, the 40 smoking teenagers from 1974 are all middle-aged. So it's not as though the advertising ban dropped the number of smokers in this population from 40 to 20. Rather, we've got 40 middle-aged smokers (we'll say that no one was able to quit for simplicity's sake) and 20 new teenage smokers. How could smoking ads be the only determining factor for those 20 new smokers if the ads were banned before they were born? So in this scenario there has to be some other variable prompting those 20 smokers to begin smoking. Maybe it was peer pressure. Maybe it was the subconscious influence of movie scenes. Who knows? Ads might have been one factor for some of the 40 smokers in 1974. And the absence of ads might help explain why there aren't more smokers in 2017. But they cannot, logically, be the only factor that influences smoking rates.
Essentially, it means that if if "tobacco advertising" is the the ONLY determinant/factor as far as the prevalence of smoking among teenagers is concerned, then in absence of this "tobacco advertising" how this new group of teenagers are taking up smoking in Norway -- so, that means there must be some other factor/aspect influencing smoking habits among teenagers.
Did I get you right ?
-
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2017 5:55 am
Since banning ads of tobacco did not reduce consumption among teens, we can say that advertising is not the only factor which can impact smokers. There must be other relevant reasons as well.