Silk Cut

Guardian, 11 November 1997
Teens go up in smoke
by Linda Grant

Reacting to the government's climbdown over Formula One racing sponsorship, Grant tackles the shady alliances behind tobacco sponsorship, and how children are being subtly targeted as the consumers of the future. Smoking is back in fashion, as corporates tap in to the jokey, ironic reaction against health fascism. Cool catwalk models and film stars seen smoking neutralise the warnings and undermine the health issues. The writer's father, who was a lifelong smoker, died the previous year of emphysema. She notes that tobacco is "the perfect product: the one which triumphantly exposes the fault lines of adult hypocracy".