Jump to full article: China Daily (cn), 2009-06-01
Intro: The future lies with the youth, as it does with a healthy world, a world free of tobacco and its killer effect.
Yet we have no reason to feel optimistic about tobacco control among teenagers in China. The number of smokers between the age of 13 and 18 is estimated to be at least 15 million. This population accounts for 11.5 percent of the 130 million in this age group, according to a report released by the country's tobacco control office last year.
At least 40 million teenagers have tried cigarettes, the report says. . . .
A survey of 2,000 female high school students in Chongqing municipality in southwestern China has found that 30 percent of them are either smokers or have been smokers. They said that they picked up the habit to emulate some female stars, whose affectations with cigarettes in films or TV soap operas impressed them as being very smart.
It is more important for parents, teachers and adults, particularly smokers, to set a good example for the younger generation, which is in need of role models who do not glamorize smoking.
Pictorial illustrations of the dangers of smoking will be more effective if the warnings are reinforced by role models who can motivate the youth to shun cigarettes.
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