We Are Almost there ...
FreeRepublic , LLC
PO BOX 9771
FRESNO, CA 93794
Thank you Registered!
STOP BY A BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD
Posted on 06/03/2002 8:55:24 AM PDT by ozone1
Access Laws Do Not Lower Rates of Teen Smoking Mon Jun 3,10:29 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Laws that prohibit merchants from selling cigarettes to minors have not helped to reduce rates of teenage smoking in the US and should therefore be abandoned, researchers conclude.
Their study found no association between laws that make it difficult for teenagers to buy cigarettes and the prevalence of smoking. There was no difference in rates of teenage smoking between communities with and without such laws, and no association between compliance with the laws and the incidence of smoking among teenagers, according to the report in the June issue of Pediatrics.
The findings indicate that resources to curb smoking among adolescents may be better directed at other types of interventions such as taxes on cigarettes, smoke-free workplaces and homes, and educational efforts on the health effects of secondhand smoke.
"Given the limited resources available for tobacco control, as well as the expense of conducting youth access programs, tobacco control advocates should start redirecting their energies and funds away from youth access and toward other interventions that have proven effectiveness," write Dr. Stanton A. Glantz and Caroline M. Fichtenberg from the University of California, San Francisco.
Over the past several years, all 50 states in the US have implemented youth access laws, which make it illegal to sell cigarettes to teenagers younger than 18. Some states go so far as to criminalize the possession of tobacco by teens.
But while these laws may present obstacles to buying cigarettes, they do not actually influence overall rates of youth smoking, possibly because many teens obtain cigarettes from parents, friends and strangers. What's more, these laws may reinforce the belief that smoking makes kids seem more grown-up, the researchers note.
"As teens find it harder to buy cigarettes they may simply shift to these other sources," they write.
SOURCE: Pediatrics 2002;109:1088-1092.
Lies, lies, lies, nothing but hateful lies! Y'all must be smokin qualuudes in that farmasuitical phortress you call the LP.
I think these people are beginning to fear their funds will dry up....... they may have to look for a real job.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.