Learning aims

• Effects of advertising on society.

• Issues of tobacco adverstising and young smokers.

Whole-class debate
This house believes that tobacco adverts encourage kids to smoke.

Plenary
Recap on the main teaching points and the chair announces the outcome of the vote.

Teachers' Background

• The government's long-awaited Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act comes into effect on Friday 14 February 2003.

• The Act outlaws ads in magazines, newspapers and on billboards.

• A ban on direct marketing and in-pack promotion schemes comes into effect on 14 May 2003.

• Tobacco sponsorship of Formula 1 racing and other "global sporting events" has been delayed until 2006

• Simon Clark, director of the smokers' pressure group Forest, described the move as a "pointless political gesture that will have very little effect.

• "What motivates young people to start smoking is peer pressure, not advertising. Common sense suggests that the more smoking is attacked by politicians the more attractive it becomes."

• The anti-smoking group ASH warned ministers to ensure the tobacco industry did not take advantage of loopholes in the legislation.

• Its director, Clive Bates said: "The tobacco companies will respond by switching tobacco brands onto non-tobacco products like clothing, accessories or action holidays and the measures to deal with that are weak and delayed for two years."

• But Tim Lord of the Tobacco Manufacturers Association said: "We will work within the constraints of the legislation as defined by government."