— Despite a massive press and radio campaign, “Smokeless Day,” organized by the Israel Cancer Society, today did not appear to be a great success.
Against a background of radio interviews with doctors describing the dangers of cigarette smoking, habitual smokers in cafes and places where radios were switched on could be seen still with a burning cigarette in their mouth or hand. Tobacconists reported that some of their regular customers purchased their packs with an apology that they “just couldn’t kick the habit.”
The Society will be announcing later if there has been any increase in the number of people registering this week for “anti-smoking clinics” which reported a 70 percent success rate among members during the year.
Those registering for the clinics pay for the privilege of learning how to stop smoking. The Society said people who pay for something usually have more respect for what they buy than they would for some thing they get for free. The Society expressed concern at the growing number of smokers in Israel, especially pregnant women.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
