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Is the anti-smoking lobby working?

25 Nov 2002

Bateleur Research Solutions recently asked a sample of 600 urban South Africans about their smoking habits. Here are a few of the results:

1 in 3 people admitted to being smokers

47% of males were smokers against only 23% of females

38% of youths between 16 to 24 years smoked and 15% of youths between 12 to 15 years, perhaps indicating a failure on the part of the anti-smoking lobby to deter young people from starting to smoke.

it has been said that the anti-smoking lobby has worked amongst upper socio-economic people, but further results throw this into question: in LSM 10 - 32% were smokers; LSM 9 - 41%; LSM 8 - 36%; LSM 7 - 33%; LSM 6 - 32%; LSM 5 - 39%.

It appears that the banning of cigarette advertising has had little effect on reducing smoking. Did the advertising work in the first place?