You may have read recent news reports about the findings of a smoking-prevention study conducted by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and funded by the National Cancer Institute. The results indicated that the school-based prevention program failed to make a significant difference in keeping teenagers from smoking. However, school-based programs are only one slice of tobacco control. The best way to combat tobacco use in our county is with comprehensive, sustainable programs.
Tobacco companies are very aggressive in their approach.
They were among the first U.S. businesses to rely heavily on mass media advertising to sell their product. The goal of these industry ads is to portray tobacco use, particularly cigarette smoking, as not only sexy and desirable, but also common and pervasive. The average age in Washington that a person begins smoking is 12 years old. Cigarettes and tobacco products are relatively cheap and readily available. It's so easy to start smoking, and so hard to stop.