Renewed Call For Ban On Tobacco Ads

The release of government figures on teenage smoking have led to renewed calls for a ban on tobacco advertising. The figures show that 10% of girls and 9% of boys aged 11-15 are regular smokers; theses figures have hardly changed in a decade.

The Department of Health has said it is to launch a £12 million health education campaign later this year. The British Medical Association called for a complete ban on tobacco advertising; a spokesperson said, “The voluntary agreement with the industry is exposed by these figures as nothing more than an empty series of cosmetic measures.”