[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 7 (Monday, February 19, 1996)]
[Page 302]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Centers for Disease Control's Report on Tobacco and 
Youth

February 15, 1996

    This week at the White House, I heard directly from a group of 
children about the easy access and allure of cigarettes.
    This report is further evidence that parents need all the help they 
can get in their daily struggle to keep our kids tobacco-free.
    Every day, more than 3,000 young people become regular smokers. 
Nearly a thousand of them will have their lives shortened because of 
tobacco-related illnesses. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable 
death in this country, contributing to more than 30 percent of all 
cancer deaths.
    Let me be clear: This administration will continue to lead the fight 
to help parents protect children from the hazards of tobacco addiction.

Note: The CDC report was entitled, ``Access of Tobacco Products to 
Youths Aged 12-17 Years.''