Smoked out

Your report “Cancer charity accuses tobacco companies of targeting youngsters” (26 April) reveals a travesty of research technique. Showing children cereal boxes immediately prior to displaying cigarette packets is the same manipulative tactic levelled against tobacco producers. The somewhat clumsy inference is that pleasant feelings associating these boxes with food content will be similarly transferred from packets to cigarettes: one youngster – predictably – thereafter sensed ice cubes and mint in the designs. What has that to do with smoking?

Were the subjects asked what attracted them to cigarette packets or whether indeed they had ever found them attractive? Were they asked whether the packets gave them any inclination to start smoking? Young children asked about packaging will answer about packaging, not contents.

It would be enlightening to know whether the researchers or the children mentioned the “Smoking Kills” element in the packaging. It is surely of obvious relevance and impossible to miss.

ROBERT DOW

Ormiston Road

Tranent, East Lothian