Tobacco Documents Online

gI 1S. w ar n. KN O W LT: O l*1, I iv c. 1: !Confidentia], for Member:s ~ t y.V INP' Janus 18 1~j 62. , :ORMATIONAL MF~tqFtANDtJM ~ 7 J C '- ~ ~s R~e -ACS Youth Conference on Cigarette Smoking at Williamsburg, Virginia f'.'.Y °N"^ . It has been learned from various sources that American Cancer Society officials 'i;~Ra' s~a elieve the first A.C.S.,Yauth Conference on Cigarette Smoking was a success,=,but;~ ~~^ ~ ry f',not without `its disappointments. A.C.S. is novplanning similar state alid regional ~~~ ~~, t~~,conferenoes in :yarious parts of thYe. country during the next year or two,aad pe~!hapa, ~ *~.~ ~ '~, ~ ~a national confereace. ~ ~~ + 4.4 `~ ~ s~.~~i. ~ ~. +2~ ~ +,3. y tF~!'~c.b i',.T~ '{J li.}J~'*f'~r°5,,,••~•~i~~~h e pilot eonferenee was held January `12 and 13 in Williamsburg, Va. ' It ~as 'attended by 83' students from junior and seniox high schools in the Washington, D.C. ''metropolitan area,: and 30 adults, including chaperones and A:.C.S. of:ficials: ;Purpose~~;~~ of the conference was to enable A.C.S. to find out if they are making, progress in ,~` "educating" teen-agers about smoking, and to get an appraisal of A.C.S. programs and' materi'als from the yoursg people. .' A maj or discussion theme was :"What activ'iti'es might best discourage cigarette smoking by youth?"'~"~~t ~~~~M~~k ~` ~ 'i, 1'x,; ht+ s~.~'~y{L: . - y. i Althougka an official A:.C.Ss news release ~ras ssuedi after the conference, it did ynot cover some of the following points that observers thought were of interest; : . . . .. . , .~, S" L. `,A large number of students said' they had never seen the A.C.~S. materials on °-~~ ;.:smoking, and health, includin,g the filmstrip. A.C'.S!. officials plan a fbllow-up in *v~ . Washington area schools to find out why materials are not being used f N'~~4~~ {{{ J` •- : rh . 2. The students criticized+ A.C.S. materials, saying they were aimed at adults * rather than teen-agers. , They urged more eaiphasis on the "more.immediate effects Q.k of smoking, such as shortness of breath, the expense, the discomfort to others, ,- ~ as opposed to what might happen in later years. ~ ' .+ , , t`r1 1.' . r a - . ~' . . , . i . ' . " . . i . . .. ., t . . T ~ . ~ ' .. • A number of students sa3;di that information "on bothis:ides of the question" phould be made available to lthem in the schools. r Ttae consensus was that teen-agers prefer a discussion of the "facts," as opposedi to a moralistic approach. :. +;~. .,i..- . . '~ . .. .. ; .. ~ - . . .• - 1 ~.. • ~-. ~, f . .`:The olfici&Y A.C.S. news release summed up teen'-age opinion at the conference ~,.this way: -;."As long as cigarette smoking is a coamion andi socially accepted habit - t is going to be difficult tolkeep teen-agers from starting to smoke at an early "' e. ..Bw.t if' oun peo le have more o ortunit to ag , y ~g p pp y Bet and discuss the facts about r:: '; : , the harmful effects of smoking -- not only in relation to lung cancer but also to other health problems -- they might be influenced against taking up smoking." The s news release tiras timed for publication January 16, three dhys after the conference. ,~ t -Little press attention has been noted so far. Hcrwever, the Washington Star plans ~~~ a~report in its teen-age section:Saturday, January 20. The meeting was not open to the press.: , : .. 6. Spe. .kers inclluded.two.national A.C.S. officials, Clifton R'. Read, vice' president for public education and information, and Walter G. James, director of public education,-the Reverend Roscoe C. Johnson, pastor, Williamsburg Methodist Church, and Dr. Joseph W. Peabody, Jr., a Washington, D.C. chest surgeon,iwho said "My vork Would:be reduced by 90 percent if nobody ever smoked." A kit-of various aati-smoking,mater3als was given to eachidelegate. .. .1E. . . . }. r . . . ., _ . .

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