ASH Daily News for 21/12/2000
HEADLINES
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ASH Daily News
21 December 2000
Headlines
'School anti-smoking project a failure'
Profile of Altadis
Full Text
'School anti-smoking project a failure'
BBC News Online reports that, 'Researchers who conducted the biggest
anti-smoking programme ever carried out in American schools say their
project has been a failure. They say teaching children about the dangers of
smoking has not reduced the number of those taking up the habit, and suggest
a complete rethink is needed about how to warn youngsters of the dangers of
tobacco. The government-funded study was carried out over 15 years in
Washington State in the north west of the United States. More than 8,000
children in 40 districts were involved. As they progressed through their
school careers, children were given lessons about the medical dangers of
smoking, peer pressure to take up the habit and the power of tobacco
advertising.'
The article further reports that, 'However researchers found that about the
same percentage of youngsters took up smoking, regardless of whether they
had taken part in the educational programme or not. Arthur Peterson from the
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle says the findings prove
that school-based anti-smoking programmes don't work. He suggests further
research is urgently needed to find the best way to get the anti-smoking
message through to youngsters. But this may leave health researchers with
the dilemma as to what other possible approaches they can take.'
Source: BBC News Online, 21 December 2000
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1080000/1080554.stm
Profile of Altadis
The Financial Times reports on Altadis - the company that was formed when
the French and Spanish monopolies merged. The article states, 'Everything,
it would appear, comes in pairs.'
Source: Financial Times, 21 December 2000
Karl Brookes
Action on Smoking and Health
102 Clifton Street
London
EC2A 4HW
Tel: +44 (0)20 7739 5902
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7613 0531
http://www.ash.org.uk
