NEWSPOINT :
CIGARETTES AND CHILDREN
Introduction:
This newspoint revolves round the plan to raise the age at which cigarettes can be bought from 16 to 18. It’s a plan which has been put forward by the UK government, because the number of young people who smoke is increasing.
In fact, studies have indicated that every day, nearly 3,000 teenagers experiment with their first cigarette. Some begin as early as age 8, with the majority being between the ages of 12 to 14.
So it’s a very important phenomenon of the twenty first century.
Sources:
This Newspoint is based on three articles and a website which constitute the three sources:
- “Age for buying cigarettes could be lifted from 16 to 18” by Patrick Wintour, a chief political correspondent, the Monday December 5, 2005
- “Debate pledged on raising age for cigarette sales” by Press Association the Thursday December 8, 2005
§ The Mirror with : “effects of smoking”
§ The website : http://www.keepkidsfromsmoking.com
This website is about the behaviour of children with cigarettes and how parents can speak with their children about this dangerous phenomenon.
This website is sponsored by Lorillard Tobacco Company's Youth Smoking Prevention Program. This company has a position on underage smoking which has always been quite clear – kids should never smoke. To address this issue and broadly communicate their position, they launched their voluntary Youth Smoking Prevention Program (YSPP) in 1999.
The advice on this site is given by Dr. Michael H. Popkin, the spokesman for Lorillard's Youth Smoking Prevention Program. He is the founder of Active Parenting Publishers and the author of many video-based parenting education programs. An expert in the field of parent’s education, Dr. Popkin has a doctorate in Counseling Psychology and was the director of Child and Family Services at an Atlanta hospital. He currently lives in Atlanta with his wife and two teens.
Moreover this website gives links to other public sites and organizations with smoking information:
Analysis
The government wants to take many anti-smoking measures: ban smoking in restaurants, bars or another public place.
In fact, Ms Hewitt, the Health Secretary, has said that strengthened measures could be introduced within three years without the need for further legislation and suggested that the limited ban in foodless pubs would mean pubs having a separate room or a ban restricted to the bar area.
And this measure would also bring Britain into line with other European Union countries and the US.
In fact, the previous measures were not enough. Consequently, during the past five years, the number of youngsters who smoke has barely declined, and the incidence of lung cancer among young women has risen.
From 2004 to 2005, the Trading Standards Service has controlled 117 retailers for selling cigarettes to children under 16. The retailers received fines of up to £1,000. But more were cautioned.
§ The Mirror :
The effects of smoking are very dangerous. In fact, smoking can cause serious and fatal diseases:
- Lung cancer
- Coronary heart disease
- Harm to an unborn child
§ The website :
It helps to develop a better understanding between parents and their children when they come to not smoking. On this site, parents will learn to:
Personal statement:
We think many things. First of all, we think the government is right to set up measures against encouraging children’s addiction to smoking. Bringing up the age of sale to children is a good thing, but it is necessary to control tobacconists because bringing up the age does nothing, if it is not respected by the retailers. The government has to enforce controls and apply fines to those who infringe the law by selling cigarettes to minors. As a consequence, we think that to separate smokers from non-smokers by imposing a special room in restaurants and bars is a good measure. It does not harm freedom like in France where there soon be no smoking in all public places. Both the will of non-smokers and that of smokers are thus respected.