World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2008

On the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), 31 May 2008, the campaign focuses on the efforts of tobacco companies to attract young people. Young people is on their marketing target.
The more they are exposed to tobacco advertising, the more likely they are to start smoking.
Smoking has false association with qualities such as glamour, energy, community and sex appeal.

Young people is most aggressively targeted by tobacco marketing. The world’s youth, you are at risk. Countries, we need more legislative step! Break tobacco marketing net!

The next jump is all quotes…

Total ban on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship by the tobacco industry.

WHY DO WE NEED TO CAMPAIGN FOR A TOTAL BAN ON TOBACCO ADVERTISING, PROMOTION AND SPONSORSHIP?

• Because about half the children of the world live in countries that do not ban free distribution of tobacco products to them.
• Because only total and comprehensive bans can be effective in reducing tobacco consumption.
• Because national-level studies before and after advertising bans found a decline in tobacco consumption of up to 16%.
• Because partial bans have little or no impact on demand since advertising can be switched to alternative media.

“In order to survive, the tobacco industry needs to replace those who quit or die with new young consumers.”

“A ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is a powerful tool we can use to protect the world’s youth.”

WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan.

A call for action

A TOTAL BAN ON ADVERTISING, PROMOTION AND SPONSORSHIP OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS REDUCES CONSUMPTION

Call to policy-makers:

• Require by law a comprehensive ban on all forms of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products. Be aware that voluntary policies do not work and are not an acceptable response to protecting the public, especially youth, from tobacco industry marketing tactics;
• Implement policies and programmes that do not target youth in isolation. Interventions that target the population as a whole, such as banning all forms of tobacco advertising, raising tobacco taxes, and creating 100% smoke-free environments have the greatest success in reducing youth tobacco use.

Call to young people:

• Let the policy-makers of your country know what you think. Advocate for a total ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products in your country.
• Get involved in a campaign to educate your peers on how the tobacco industry uses advertising, promotion and sponsorship to persuade you to smoke or use other forms of tobacco. Let the industry know you won’t be duped by its slick, expensive promotional efforts.

Call to NGOs:

• Advocate to policy-makers for a complete ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products in your country.
• Help organize youth groups so they can be part of the campaign and engage in the conception, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of tobacco control policies and programmes to ban advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products.

Call to the public:

• Call on policy-makers to ban advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products to protect young people.

Sources on the web:

• Tobacco facts.
• Tobacco-free Youth.
• World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2008.
• WNTD 2008 campaign materials.
• ‘Promosi Kesehatan Smoke Free – Bebas Rokok‘ (from Dani Iswara .Net blog).

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