Show r II Teen Agers Ignore Smoking ing Dangers The United States Surgeon General has reported that de despite despite despite de- de spite intensive warning campaigns campaigns campaigns cam cam- more than half of all teen-agers teen ignore the scientifically scientifically leall proved dangers to their health and become regular cige cigarette cig cig- e arette smokers by the U time me they i are 18 r YET CIGARETTE smoking to according to Dr Melvin Mehin E E. E Ericksen chairman of the South Davis Cancer Crusade Is estimated estimated estimated esti- esti mated to cause upwards of 75 per cent of all cases of lung cancer which last year killed about s in the men and almost I women Because of the teen teen-a teen age g e smoking trend and the tremendous tremendous dous does toll of lung cancer which I has been called a national health I catastrophe and is Dr Ericksen Erick Erick- sen said the American Cancer Society Is engaged in a five- five year educational program to re reduce reduce reduce re- re duce cigarettes cigarette smoking among teen-agers teen by per cent and andIn andin andin in the general public by 25 per cent THE GOAL of the program r now in its second year is re realistic realistic realistic re- re he said The aim should be a per cent halt to all cigarette smoking in all population population population pop pop- groups But experience is a hard teacher and more than ten years of effort have proved to the Society the difficulty difficulty difficulty culty of changing peoples people's habits hab hab- its its of of persuading the them m to gi give ve up smoking or better still never to start People often do not react as they should They would react with shock if a plane or ship or train crashed daily taking more than lives each day The shock would be even greater if the crashes were avoidable the result of carelessness WE VE HAVE A real breakthrough breakthrough breakthrough break break- through in our knowledge of how lung cancer develops develops and and can be prevented But the But the fact that lung cancer took lives each day in 1966 doesn't seem shocking shocking shocking shock shock- ing enough to create positive action Nevertheless Dr Ericksen said the American Cancer Society Society So Society So- So has reason to believe that people can be motivated to take proper action if they are continuously continuously continuously con con- reminded of the facts It believes that most people will eventually make the right decision decision decision deci deci- sion if they are constantly confronted confronted confronted con con- fronted with facts not ing THE SOCIETY emphasizes emphasizes emphasizes sizes he said that the time timeto to stop smoking is now It is not true that after many years of smoking it is useless to quit The body has a great capacity to repair itself given a chance Also cAlso if one is a parent there Is an added reason forgiving forgiving for forgiving giving up cigarettes If a parent parent parent par par- ent continues to smoke the chances are his children childr n will smoke too The problem is one of continuous persuasive education education education tion elimination of examples youngsters like to prove they are adult by doing what adults do and an end to the promotion of cigarette smoking as an en enjoyable enjoyable enjoyable en- en attractive expression of adulthood being a real woman a real man |