No the government canNOT end drug ads.
Cigarettes was done via FCC rule
evidently they can
And you studiously ignore that the FCC ONLY governs broadcast TV and radio. Not cable. Not satellite. Not the internet. And not print.
And let’s focus on that having anything to do with print advertising for a minute. Because once upon a time cigarette ads were ALL OVER print. Every magazine in the country had a dozen cigarette ads. Including the TV Guide. Hmm. Interesting when you think about.
Then of course there’s NASCAR. While the cigarette companies could put ADS on broadcast TV that didn’t stop them from sponsoring the NASCAR title, and individual teams. So you could have the Marlboro car (painted up to look like a pack of reds) competing for the Winston Cup. And while NASCAR might have moved away from the Winston Cup there’s still the teams.
So no, the evidence clearly shows that even when the government can declare a PARTIAL ban (FCC regulated things only) and it can’t actually make a ban that matters.