Girls are more likely to take up smoking and less likely to quit than boys, the Minister for Health said yesterday. Mr Martin was announcing details at the Irish Film Centre in Temple Bar of a new anti-smoking advertising campaign targeted at young women.
The Minister conceded the current anti-smoking campaign had not "had the impact I would have wished", and said "we must develop campaigns which speak to young people in terms they clearly understand".
A survey of 101 female students at St Joseph's School, Stanhope Street, Dublin, to accompany the launch showed that, by age 13, half of those surveyed had tried smoking and of these a quarter smoked every day. By 16, 80 per cent had tried smoking and of this group, a third smoked every day.
Mr Martin said the figures mirrored the results of national surveys which showed that under the age of 15, smoking was more prevalent among girls than boys.
Of the new campaign, the Minister said that instead of concentrating on the negative health effects from smoking or the positive effects from quitting, it focused on the impact of nicotine and cigarette smoke on the smoker's appearance, something which was of more immediate importance to young women.
In its television advertisement, the campaign purports to promote a range of cosmetics, marketed under the brand name "Nico". However, each product - lipstick, hairspray and perfume - are shown, in turn, to pollute the smoker's appearance. "The simple message is that smokers are less attractive," said the Minister.
While the central character of Nico might appear attractive, said Mr Martin, "at closer inspection he turns out not to be so. He has yellowed teeth and fingers, and his personality goes from being pleasant to oily and ingratiating, and eventually sinister and menacing. Simply put, like smoking, he is a turn-off."
Television, radio and billboard advertisements are to be used for the campaign, which will run for six weeks initially.
Mr Martin stressed that any successful anti-smoking campaign must be targeted correctly. "The global marketing practices of the tobacco industry do target young people" and health promoters needed to face down these practices, he said.
Department statistics supporting the campaign show that 80 per cent of smokers become addicted by the age of 16, after which time girls are less likely to quit.
The difference in the incidence of smoking between girls and boys is most pronounced among those from low-income backgrounds, with 40 per cent of girls in this category smoking by the age of 17 compared to 28 per cent of boys.
Mr Martin said the campaign complemented other aspects of the Government's anti-smoking policy. A Bill currently before the Dail contains a range of antismoking measures such as raising the age limit for the sale of tobacco products from 16 to 18 and substantially increased fines on those convicted of selling cigarettes to teenagers.
