A health expert says that popular internet sites including YouTube, Facebook and MySpace are being used to promote smoking to teenagers.

A health expert says that popular internet sites including YouTube, Facebook and MySpace are being used to promote smoking to teenagers. University of Sydney public health professor Simon Chapman welcomed new figures showing that rates of youth smoking were down, but warned the internet was becoming the new battleground for new teen smokers. Prof Chapman said smoking among young people was at its lowest rate since studies began in the 1980s. About seven percent of schoolchildren aged 12 to 15 smoked, rising to about 18 percent of 17-year-olds. Prof Chapman will tell a University of Sydney adolescent health forum that although young people were absorbing anti-smoking messages broadcast on traditional media, more attention should be paid to web based media like YouTube, Facebook and MySpace. The interactive internet sites were "being used to promote smoking to teenagers", he said. "There is a huge amount of pro-tobacco material on the web which escapes regulation," Prof Chapman said. "But there are also some very potent anti-smoking messages out there too." Prof Chapman is leading a research project looking at the extent of tobacco promotion on popular websites, and will consider ways to maximise their use to advance anti-smoking messages. About 15,000 people died in Australia each year from active and passive smoking, he said. The healthy futures for young people symposium will today discuss the latest research in adolescent health, including obesity, smoking, sexually transmitted diseases, ADHD and depression.

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