Diary Of A Teenage Smoker

No doubt because of the insidious connection made between body image and smoking in cigarette advertisements aimed at women, more and more teenage girls have taken up the habit. Combining straight talk from teenage girls who've been smokers (and quit) with dramatic skits and humorous sketches--featuring Canadian comic Sandra Shamas--Diary of a Teenage Smoker delivers the truth about smoking from the perspective of peers. The girls in this program thought they wouldn't become addicted. They hadn't taken into account how expensive smoking is (especially for teens without regular paychecks), and were shocked when they found themselves succumbing to recurrent colds and other respiratory illnesses. In addition to pointing out the unpleasant health and monetary side effects of cigarette addiction, the program also tackles the psychological reasons girls start smoking (to rebel or to belong). In the old days, being a smoker might well admit you to a social circle you wanted to be in; today, however, when smokers are definitely under siege, the opposite holds true in many cases. Filmed with flair and style to burn, Diary of a Teenage Smoker's use of peer counseling in the video format is a very effective way to reach young people. Highly recommended. (Available from: East West Media, Box 3430, Central Point, OR 97502; (800) 858-9540.)