The medical officer in charge of the Tonga Health Promotion Foundation is pleased with new national survey results showing a significant decrease in youth smoking.
Tonga started an anti-tobacco campaign last year, focusing on the dangers of smoking around children and relaunched it this year to highlight the dangers of tobacco use.
The medical officer Ofa Tukia said in 2010, 22 per cent of youth smoked cigarettes, which has now dropped to 14.6 per cent.
Dr Tukia gave credit for the decrease to the campaign, which is set to run until 2020.
But she said the number of youths smoking was still too high.
Photo Caption: Billboard for smoke free campaign in Tonga.
Source:
Radio New Zealand