Teenage girl smokers double in number in Hong Kong

One in eight girls aged 15 now smokes and there have been sharp rises across the board in the number of teenage female smokers, according to a survey by the Council On Smoking and Health.

The anti-smoking group's study showed that 13 per cent of girls aged 12 to 16 in Hong Kong smoke, an overall rise of 6 per cent from five years ago, when a similar study was conducted.

Twenty per cent of boys of the same age smoke but the traditionally wide gap between the two groups is narrowing rapidly, the statistics suggest. Chairman Anthony Hedley said the statistics reflected a global trend in which tobacco companies target "impressionable" teenage girls.

Advertisements in Hong Kong newspapers and magazines often features images of female models and pop icons smoking, he told the territory's radio station RTHK Wednesday.

"The image of young models holding cigarettes has become the symbol of a desirable lifestyle," he said, adding that tobacco companies were widely sponsoring fashion shows and sporting events.

The council's survey was carried out last year and involved almost 9,000 teenagers. Its findings have been challenged by the Tobacco Institute of Hong Kong which claims the survey was neither accurate nor balanced.

A statement from the institute said government figures showed the number of female smokers aged 15 to 19 had remained steady at only 1.3 per cent from 1989 to 1998.

It denies targetting young females and says its marketing is aimed at smokers who want to switch brands.

(la/dpa)