Young people on the streets of Dublin and Limerick discuss why they do or do not smoke cigarettes.
The Irish Cancer Society has launched its Smokebusters clubs, an initiative which aims to prevent children taking up smoking.
A recent survey of eleven to fifteen year olds in Ireland revealed that over a quarter of young people have tried smoking cigarettes. Four per cent of those surveyed admitted that they smoke regularly.
'Jo-Maxi' asked young people in Dublin and Limerick for their opinions on tobacco.
The cost of cigarettes is an issue for one young girl, as well as the health impact.
You’re just making your life shorter.
Another young woman who is a smoker believes there needs to be greater awareness of the health risks associated with tobacco.
There was nothing about it when I was growing up.
Some people smoke to cultivate an image or to look cool, but according to one teenager too many young people have taken up the habit.
It’s just way out of hand.
Quitting tobacco is a challenge, especially if people in one's household are smokers, and
Even if you give them up, the longing is still there.
From ‘Jo-Maxi’ broadcast on 18 October 1990. The presenter is Celine Whelan.
'Jo Maxi' was a youth lifestyle programme targeted at 10 to 14 year olds. The programme contained features on a broad range of topics, including animals, fashion, music, books and profiles of young people voicing their views on various subjects. The original presenters on the show were Ray D'Arcy, Geri Lalor, Clíona Ní Bhuachalla and Antoinette Dawson.
