Given the substantial nationwide morbidity and mortality due to tobacco use, the role of mass media messages in adolescent initiation of smoking, and the potential power of media literacy as an agent for health behavior change, it is essential to study the utility of media literacy in altering smoking behaviors and antecedents in this age group. If media literacy programs are successful in buffering the impact of mass media on adolescent smoking, similar interventions can be developed to prevent other harmful behaviors related to mass media messages.