THE MINISTRY of Health says that it is targeting adolescents through its anti-tobacco smoking exhibit mounted on Tuesday at the Sovereign Centre, Hope Road, St. Andrew.
"The use of tobacco can lead to nicotine addiction, tobacco-related illnesses and the premature death among half of all adult smokers," the Ministry said in a statement to The Gleaner.
The Ministry said that the display, entitled, "Tobacco Kills - Don't be Fooled", aims to educate the public, but especially adolescents, about several diseases that are caused by smoking and about a number of the over 4000 chemicals found in tobacco smoke. In addition, the display highlights certain facts about tobacco, for example, its involvement in rendering a person impotent.
The exhibit, organised through the Ministry's Health Promotion/ Health Education Unit, is targeting adolescents in particular because research showed that many were at risk for becoming smokers, which is seen as a "gateway" for the use of other drugs.
Statistical correlations in a recent study prepared by Dr. Ken-Garfield Douglas of the Faculty of Medical Science, University of the West Indies for the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), showed that students who currently smoke cigarettes were 14 times more likely to have also smoked marijuana than those who reported never smoking. These students were also more likely to move onto other drugs.
The study, entitled, "Patterns of substance use and abuse among post-primary students: National Adolescent drugs survey 1997/ 1998," stated that the "ever smokers" were significantly more likely to be have used alcohol, crack, cocaine and non-prescribed tranquillisers, amphetamines and inhalants.
Data showed that current student smokers were 50 times more likely to use crack, 65 times more likely to use cocaine and 19 times more likely than non smokers to have used amphetamines. Interms of inhalants, alcohol and non-prescribed tranquillisers, the smokers were two times, eight times and 13 times more likely to use these substances.
The anti-tobacco smoking exhibit will run until July 28 between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The exhibit will also be displayed in other locations islandwide, frequented by adolescents, for the rest of the summer.
