Jump to full article: PA News / Ananova (uk), 2000-10-10
Intro: Anti-smoking campaigns aimed at children and teenagers are ineffective and may actually encourage youngsters to take up the habit, two leading charities have said.
The Cancer Research Campaign and Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) said such initiatives were likely to backfire.
They led young people to see smoking as a desirable adult pursuit or to rebel against authority by lighting up. Tobacco companies were well aware of this reality and had cynically exploited it, said the groups.
Faced with mounting opposition to smoking, the industry had sought to improve its image by actively supporting teenage anti-smoking initiatives around the world. But this was no more than a "sinister and cynical" public relations strategy designed to further the industry's interests, it was claimed.
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