| Tobacco companies are aggressively marketing
to teenagers, and government needs to do more in response, according to
researchers in Great Britain.
Reuters reported March 2 that a study by researchers at Strathclyde University in Scotland found that 15- and 16-year-olds participated in tobacco-industry marketing. About one-third, for instance, said they had received coupons for cigarettes, a quarter said they had received price breaks, and about one in ten said they had received free gifts at events. The study leaders urged Britain's House of Lords to approve pending legislation that would crack down on tobacco advertising, and also establish a regulatory body to ensure enforcement. "Although tobacco manufacturers insist they are not directly targeting youngsters, the study shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that young people are aware of tobacco messages, and provides scientific evidence that they are encouraging smoking in 15- to 16-year-olds," said study leader Gerard Hastings. The study was published in the British Medical Journal. |