A new campaign will use television and poster advertising to persuade girls to quit smoking. The campaign, drawn up by several health boards and the Irish Cancer Society, will particularly address the belief among many teenage girls that smoking helps keep their weight down.
The campaign will be running evening-time, fast-paced "MTV-style" ads. Ms Mary Van Lieshout, health promotion officer with the Eastern Regional Health Authority said girls tended to have greater problems with smoking than boys.
Among low-income groups, 40 per cent of girls between 15 and 17 smoked, as against 28 per cent of boys. The TV advertisement features a young girl called Laura and points out smoking can lead to yellow teeth, wrinkles and a bad cough. It asks girls to give up the habit and notice the positive difference it makes.
As part of the campaign, a free phone "quit line" has been set up by the Irish Cancer Society. The campaign will also include "no smoking" messages at bus and DART stations.
The number for the Irish Cancer Society Quit Smoking line is 1850 201 203.