Cigarette Advertising and Children

More than one million children start smoking each year. Tobacco companies target young people for a reason. Studies show that relatively few people start smoking in their early 20's. Therefore, most life smokers begin smoking before age 20. Children are affected by cigarette promotion. Their ability to recall, recognize, and identify advertised products is often underestimated. For example, children between the ages of three and six can correctly match the Joe Camel cartoon character to a picture of a cigarette.