Jump to full article: New Orleans (LA) Times Picayune, 2008-07-01
Author: ewok82
Intro: Progress in preventing teen smoking has stalled in the United States, according to new federal data, and the result could be more adults with smoking-related illnesses in the future. . . .
"One in five kids is still smoking," said Terry Pechacek of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Another generation is continuing on with a huge rate of tobacco use into adulthood."
He points to cuts in state anti-smoking campaigns that were paid for with tobacco lawsuit settlement money. If stalled progress in smoking prevention can be linked to declining anti-smoking efforts, as he suggests, that's a strong argument for restoring those programs.
Clearly, something was working during the seven years when teen smoking dropped. Their younger sisters and brothers need to hear the same message.
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