Conference to address children's smoking

A one-day conference is being held today to explore ways to stop children from starting to smoke.

Organised by the Office of Tobacco Control, panels of Irish and international experts have been invited to Dublin to discuss why youngsters take up the deadly habit and examine the consequences.

The health chiefs will also be looking at the effects of active and passive smoking and explore actions to reduce children and youths taking up the habit.

The conference at Croke Park will be chaired by Dr Fenton Howell, director of public health, HSE Dublin North-East and 12 experts including Professor Luke Clancy, Research Institute for a Tobacco Free Society, and Brendan Murphy, GAA Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention programme.