Friday, June 18, 2004

Up North, they're worried about smoking...



"RICHMOND, Va. -- The state is posting billboards with messages such as 'Isn't she a little young?' as part of a campaign to dissuade men from having sex with underage girls.

"The campaign is aimed at reducing the number of young girls who have children with older men, the Virginia Department of Health said Monday.

"In 1999 and 2000 in Virginia, men over 18 were responsible for 219 births involving girls who were 13 and 14, the department said.

"Messages such as 'Isn't she a little young?' and 'Sex with a minor, don't go there' also appear on posters, coasters and napkins in bars, restaurants and stores in five cities.

"'We encourage adult men to talk to their peers and discourage them from pursuing teenagers. What they are doing is unhealthy and against the law,' said Robert Franklin, a health department official."