A new survey shows that 43 percent of high-school teenagers are now smoking or chewing tobacco at least once a week. Nine percent of 8th-graders light up every day. This is what the new legislation should be attacking, first and foremost. Once these kids are hooked, it s hard for them to unhook, as any adult smoker knows. Cut teen smoking and there s a better chance they ll avoid cigarettes later on.
Parents have some responsibility here.
So do the kids themselves. They re especially susceptible to peer pressures. If smoking is cool, many of them will light up. That s where the cigarette companies have done their worst. There s abundant evidence they ve been intentionally marketing cigarettes to teenagers.