New videos online for youths to quit smoking

QUIT, the charity that saves lives by helping smokers to stop, has launched two new videos on its ‘quit because’ website, designed to help youths stop smoking.

The videos, “Sexiness In A Stick” and “The Ventriloquist” have been launched to co-incide with the rise in the minimum legal age for buying tobacco from 1 October to 18, and are sponsored by Boots the Chemists.

Director of services at QUIT, Ruth Bosworth said: “The minimum age for buying tobacco is set to rise on 1 October, but currently 450 children start smoking everyday in the UK. We want these new videos to provoke a reaction from young people and make them stop to consider their own attitudes to smoking. Ongoing support is provided by QUIT advisors on 0800 00 22 00.”

The charity has sought the help of celebrities to target the younger audience in the videos, produced by Sound Talent.

Robbie Gee, star of films such as Snatch and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest leant his support to the project by appearing in The Ventriloquist as a man tormented by a cigarette-wielding puppet.

The Ventriloquist was written and directed by John Williams who also created QUIT’s thought provoking Black Magic video, and multi-award-winning short film Hibernation.

Jacqueline Wright, who wrote and directed Sexiness In A Stick, featuring young actress Zola Del Greco said: ”I wanted to use the visual language of shows like ‘The OC’ and of cosmetics advertising, which places such strong emphasis on superficial good looks and being ‘sexy’, and use it to communicate with young girls about why they shouldn’t smoke. Because when you think about it, the way smoking makes you look and smell is really unsexy.”

See the videos online at www.quitbecause.org.uk from today.