Study might get towns to ticket smoking teens.(News)

0 Comments | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), June, 2001 | by Korecki, Natasha

Byline: Natasha Korecki Daily Herald Staff Writer Don't drink and drive. Say no to drugs. Oh, that's a cigarette? Please put it out quietly behind you. For teens, the warning sirens have sounded for years against using drugs and drinking alcohol. But some activists say communities give mixed messages about smoking.

Although it's illegal to buy cigarettes if you're under the age of 18, many Illinois towns still do not have local laws making it illegal for teens to possess cigarettes or tobacco. And it isn't uncommon to see teenagers hanging out in the parks, outside movie theaters or even across the street from their schools puffing away. About 3,000 adolescents become new smokers daily, according to a 1990 study published in the Journal of the...