New film targets smoking in the South West
People in the West Country are being targeted by a hard hitting film from Cancer Research UK which highlights how tobacco marketing encourages young people to smoke
The film is being launched online ahead of a debate in the House of Lords on legislation which could pave the way for the introduction of plain, standardised packaging of tobacco.
Every year 16,498 children, aged 11-15, start smoking in the South West according to estimates by the Smokefree Action Coalition.
Cancer Research UK’s Setting the Standard campaign is designed to highlight the ongoing scale of the tobacco problem and underline the importance of sustained action to discourage young people in the South West from starting to smoke.
The Charity’s new film uses shocking images of children which at first appear to be filmed overseas but are, in fact, here in the UK. It is a powerful evocation of big business preying on vulnerable youngsters.
The release of the film also ties in with a unique Cancer Research UK study, published in the European Journal of Public Health, which reveals the response of teenagers to slim-line cigarettes.
Ashley Petrons, age 27, Cancer Research UK Ambassador from Exeter, said: “As an ex-smoker I feel passionately about supporting the Setting the Standard campaign and I want to encourage as many people as possible to watch this new film. Although the film is hard-hitting, the reality is even more shocking because the truth is 45 children start smoking every day in the South West region. That’s why we are calling on the Government to introduce standard packs, to give all children one less reason to start this deadly habit.”
The youngsters questioned said they were most attracted to slim and superslim cigarettes with white filter tips and decorative features – describing them as “classy” and “nicer”. But they viewed a long brown cigarette as particularly harmful – labelling it “disgusting”, “really really strong” and “old fashioned.”
Professor Gerard Hastings, Cancer Research UK's social marketing expert at the University of Stirling and one of the authors of the paper, said: “Our research confirms previous studies that both the pack and the product are powerful marketing tools in the hands of the tobacco industry which it is using to recruit a new generation of smokers. It’s time policy makers moved to standardise both.”
Since half of all long-term smokers will die of a smoking-related illness, young people are at risk of being drawn into a life threatening addiction. Starting to smoke at a young age also carries additional risks of lung damage. Every year, around 3,300 people in the South West are diagnosed with lung cancer **and 2,700 people die from the disease ***.
Alison Birkett, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the South West, said: “The evidence shows children are attracted to glitzy, slickly-designed cigarettes and packs. The House of Lords is debating the issue over the next few weeks which could allow Parliament a chance to vote on legislation to introduce standardised packaging and discourage youngsters from starting this life-threatening habit.
“We are calling on people in the South West to watch our new film and share it with as many people as possible. We need everyone to join us in urging the Government to introduce standardised packaging as soon as possible and prioritise our children’s health over tobacco company profits.”
The film comes at the same time as a study by Cancer Research UK into 'how cool' younfg people find cigarettes.
researchers at the University of Stirling asked 48 boys and girls from Glasgow about their views of eight cigarette brands of differn't sizes and shapes.
The study found that teenagers thought white tips and a longer length portrayed a cleaner, feminine image reminiscent of glamorous female stars from old movies – softening perceptions that smoking was harmful. Cigarettes with white tips were also associated with menthol which were perceived as being weaker and less harmful.
One 15-year-old girl said: “Because it’s skinny you feel that you’re not doing as much damage. “ Another said: “They don’t look like cigarettes so you wouldn’t think, like, harmful.”
A 15-year-old boy added: “If someone hands you a stronger or a weaker one you’d probably take the weaker one depending on how long you’d been smoking for...so they’re just jumping into the shallow end instead of the deep end, kind of thing.”
Dr Allison Ford, lead author of the study and also from the University of Stirling, said: “This important study reveals for the first time that adolescents associate slim and decorative cigarettes with glamour and coolness, rating them as a cleaner, milder and safer smoke. It is incredibly worrying to hear that adolescents believe that a stylishly-designed cigarette gives a softer option.”
