Posted on 02/24/2003 11:53:02 AM PST by liberallarry
A radical programme to cut teenage smoking which included raising the age limit for buying cigarettes to 18 has been an overwhelming success, it emerged today.
The initiative on the island of Guernsey has seen the number of teenage smokers halved since 1997 and anti-smoking campaigners said they hoped its success could be mirrored in the UK.
The Channel Island adopted a series of measures to tackle smoking, including raising tax on tobacco, banning advertising and increasing the legal age at which cigarettes can be bought from 16 to 18.
It also introduced the Guernsey Adolescent non-Smoking Project (Gasp) to try to cut tobacco use among teenagers.
Now a new survey has shown that since the measures were introduced in 1997, there has been a dramatic decline in the number of teenagers who smoke or were intending to take it up in the future.
The survey of students in Years Six, Eight and 10 was carried out by the Schools Health Education Unit at Exeter University.
It found the number in 2002 who said they had smoked at least one cigarette during the previous week was half the number recorded in 1997.
It also showed the proportion of teenagers in Guernsey who smoked was half that seen in a similar survey of UK youngsters carried out by Exeter University.
Anti-smoking campaigners Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) said Guernsey had "led the way in reducing smoking among young people".
Amanda Sandford, of Ash, said: "We certainly hope that the successes seen in Guernsey can be mirrored in the UK once the tobacco advertising ban is fully implemented."
A ban on advertising tobacco on hoardings and in newspapers and magazines was introduced in the UK earlier this month.
The Gasp scheme had two full-time workers who went into schools to educate young people about smoking.
It set up a club for primary schoolchildren to reinforce the idea that being healthy can be fun through sports activities.
A youth quit-line was also established, including text messaging, and there was a radio campaign outlining the benefits and disadvantages of smoking.
Alun Williams, chairman of Gasp, said: "We are really excited about these results.
"Guernsey has taken a risk by being at the forefront of smoking reduction initiatives and we seen now that the risk has paid off."
He said he thought the key to the programme's success was the mix of regulation, financial penalties and education.
The fact the island, with its population of just 60,000, was a small close community also helped, he added
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