Tobacco industry - Young people are victims of exploitation

WITH the deaths of millions of people on its conscience, the tobacco industry stands accused of using cigarette advertising in shops and family-rated Hollywood films to target children.

Doubtless, these claims by a leading expert will be dismissed by an industry long in denial about the cancer risk of its addictive and life-threatening products.

Professor Ken Warner, in Ireland for an anti-smoking conference, claims the industry needs 50 Irish kids to start smoking every day to replace smokers who quit or die. Significantly, he also claims a third of movies rated for adolescents, display cigarette brand logos.

His warning coincides with today’s ban on ten-pack cigarette sales to discourage youths from smoking. But since 53% of Irish smokers started to smoke before or at 15.

Consequently the primary objective must be to prevent the callous exploitation of young people by the profiteering tobacco industry.