The article in the Tribune concerning the ease with which children can buy cigarettes, even in stores that have been involved with the tobacco industry`s ”It`s the Law” campaign, comes as no surprise to physicians. It has been clear for several years that the only reasonable answer to youth access to tobacco products is to treat cigarettes like liquor: License vendors, enforce age limits with ”sting” operations and outlaw cigarette vending machines.
Every day in the U.S., 3,000 children begin smoking. Nearly 80 percent will never be able to free themselves from the habit; one-third will die from a smoking-related disease. Let`s not trust the tobacco industry, ever conscious of tomorrow`s profits, to educate us and our children about smoking or to suggest and enforce the laws that limit youth access to tobacco.
