World No Tobacco Day-Growing concern as cigarette companies target women |29 May 2010
This theme focuses on the spread of the epidemic of smoking among men and women, while focusing on the tobacco companies’ recent strategy to target young girls and women.
The new World Health Organisation (WHO) report, entitled Women and health: today’s evidence, tomorrow’s agenda, points to evidence that tobacco advertising increasingly targets girls.
Data from 151 countries shows that about 7% of adolescent girls smoke cigarettes, as opposed to 12% of adolescent boys. In some countries, almost as many girls smoke as boys.
To commemorate World No Tobacco Day locally, the Public Health Department along with other partners is organising a series of activities to promote a tobacco-free lifestyle and environment. These include:
● The health minister’s message on this year’s theme, as well as on Seychelles’ Tobacco Control Act, to be broadcast on radio, TV and in the Nation on Monday May 31.
● Evaluating the enforcement of the ban on smoking in enclosed public places. Following the national Tobacco Control Act 2009, a survey to assess the success of the ban on smoking in such places, especially restaurants, bars and discotheques, has been organised during May. The results of the survey will be communicated through media during June.
● Education and awareness-raising for the general public through the media. Three spots related to the Tobacco Control Act are being aired for a period of two weeks from May 20-31.
A feature on the theme Addiction will be aired on TV for two weeks during June, targeting the youth and the general public.
A radio programme called Studio Klinik was broadcast live on Wednesday May 26. The Tobacco Control Act and the theme for this year’s World No Tobacco Day were discussed in detail.
On May 27, 28 and 31 a quiz related to tobacco has been organised for the general public on AM radio, and people giving correct answers are being granted a song of their choice with a message to a friend/family member. They will also receive a T-shirt with a smoke-free message.
● Several other activities in schools on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue are also being organised to educate young people on the tobacco-free message. These include:
- A presentation on the dangers of smoking and on the new Tobacco Control Act, with a poster display, at the youth hostel, Anse Royale, on May 31;
- A health talk for students at the Maritime Training Centre during June;
- A health talk for P6 students on May 31 at Anse Royale primary school;
- Health talks and a poster display at Mont Fleuri secondary school on May 31;
- A exhibition on smoke-free messages at Grand Anse Praslin secondary school on May 31, along with one week’s education given by teachers at the school from May 31 to June 5 on the dangers of tobacco;
- Role play, posters and poems about a smoke-free lifestyle at La Digue primary and secondary schools on May 31.
All the above activities are financially supported by the WHO.
Background
Tobacco use is the second biggest cause of death globally – five million deaths per year worldwide compared to seven million for hypertension, four million for high cholesterol levels, three million for Aids, one million for malaria and one million for diabetes.
Smoking kills prematurely one smoker out of two among lifelong smokers. In addition, smoking is responsible for a large number of diseases and deaths in people involuntarily exposed to cigarette smoke. Diseases related to smoking are: around a third cancers (mainly lung), a third cardiovascular diseases and a third other diseases.
This year’s World No Tobacco Day theme reflects concern about an increase in women smokers.
Women now comprise about 20% of the world’s more than 1 billion smokers, but this figure is bound to increase in many countries unless the trend is reversed.
This is because smoking has been culturally and socially accepted for a long time among men, and the trend has now peaked at a high level. Smoking has only recently become acceptable for women in many societies, and smoking among women was therefore low; but it is now on the increase.
It can be said that the movement for the emancipation of women has been seen, in some countries, as a trend for women to catch up with men with regard to smoking habits.
It follows that women are a major target of opportunity for the tobacco industry in many countries, since the tobacco industry needs to recruit new users to replace the nearly half of current users who will die prematurely from tobacco-related diseases.
Especially troubling is the rising use of tobacco among girls. In Seychelles the Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2007 showed that around 20% of girls aged 13-15 are now smokers. The tobacco industry is keen to make smoking among girls appear as a drive towards emancipation (“girls can do what boys do”) since, similar to adults, it is been socially more acceptable for male than female adolescents to smoke in many countries.
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control asks parties to impose a ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
In Seychelles, tobacco advertising has been banned in the media for several years, and the Tobacco Control Act 2009 makes the provision to ban tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion explicit.
In addition, the Act provides:
● A ban on smoking in enclosed workplaces, enclosed public places, selected outdoor public places and public transport;
● A mandatory health warning that covers 50% of the two main sides of all tobacco packets;
● Mandatory business reporting related to tobacco products;
● Various measures against tobacco smuggling;
● The formation of a National Tobacco Control Board.