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One in three
girls smoke six a day
One in three
fifth form girls in Northern Ireland is smoking every day.
This is double the number of boys of the same age who smoke,
according to new research from the Health Promotion Agency
for Northern Ireland.
These statistics
were revealed during the launch of a major public information
campaign designed
to highlight the dangers of smoking to young people - especially
those aged 12 to 14 years.
The £300,000
campaign forms part of the ongoing work to support Smoking
kills, the Government's White Paper
on Tobacco. The campaign will include television, radio and
cinema advertising as well as a teen style magazine,
Up2You, which will be distributed to every second
and third form pupil in Northern Ireland.
A helpline has
also been set up to support the campaign. This is a freephone
number, 0800 400021, and lines will be manned by trained counsellors
who have experience in giving advice to young people about
smoking. Rob Phipps, Tobacco Programme Manager, for the Health
Promotion Agency said: "Smoking remains one of the most important
challenges for public health today. The new figures about
young people's smoking habits are very disturbing. The fact
that one third of fifth form girls are smoking on average
six cigarettes daily can only be seen as alarming.
"Evidence points
towards most young people becoming involved with cigarettes
in the early years of secondary school. Until this time most
young people view smoking in a negative way but this view
seems to change around twelve years of age. As a result of
these findings the campaign is focusing on this pivotal age
group."
Research also
shows that young people know very well the long-term dangers
of smoking but they do not feel that the dangers are relevant
to them. They are, however, concerned with the short term
effects caused by smoking such as bad breath, smelly clothes
and a habit which drains pocket money.
The advertising
focuses on the short-term effects of smoking. While it reflects
the concerns of the target age group it also challenges young
people to think about the addictive nature of nicotine. As
Rob Phipps stresses: "We need to get across the immediate,
visible, consequences of smoking to young people so these
are the ones which are being highlighted in the campaign."
A website for
teenagers has been specially designed to support the campaign.
This site is packed with information about the effects of
smoking, tips for quitting and general health information.
The address for this website is: www.up-2-you.net
The campaign
will run from 1-31 March 2000.
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