Citizens can help end sale of tobacco to kids

Islamabad: TheNetwork for Consumer Protection has joined hands with global tobacco control community led by The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in the launching of a new global campaign to stop the world’s largest tobacco companies from targeting kids near schools in country after country around the world.

‘Big Tobacco, Tiny Targets’ takes aim at Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco and other tobacco companies whose products are being systematically promoted and routinely sold to kids around schools, playgrounds and places frequented by young people.

Through crowd-sourcing technology and social media, the campaign empowers citizens across the world to help document tobacco marketing that targets kids. With just a mobile phone, citizens in any country can take a photo of tobacco advertising near schools, playgrounds and other kid-friendly venues and upload the data to the campaign hub. The information collected will be used to warn governments and spur them to ban all tobacco marketing.

The campaign launch follows an investigative report by ‘The Guardian,’ which exposed how Philip Morris, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco are aggressively marketing cigarettes and other tobacco products near primary and secondary schools in more than 22 countries. Based on data collected by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and non-governmental organizations, the story shines a spotlight on a key tactic tobacco companies use to target children, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

According to The Guardian, “School children around the world are being exposed on a daily basis to cigarette advertising and promotions by a tobacco industry that needs to recruit the young to maintain its vast profits.”

Nadeem Iqbal, CEO of The Network said being part of global fight against transnational tobacco companies control has visible dividends for Pakistan, where around 50 percent population is under 18. “We need to secure the children by bringing in new health regulations banning cigarette advertisement inside shops around schools,” he demanded.

Nadeem lamented that despite commands from highest government authorities and courts, laws that prohibit underage sale and tobacco trade 50 meter around schools are yet to be enforced in letter and spirit.

A survey to monitor the prevalence of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products (mainly cigarettes) around schools was conducted by TheNetwork for Consumer Protection in 2016 in six cities of Pakistan, which included Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta and Peshawar. Monitoring of shops around 120 schools in six metropolitan urban centers showed 100% violation of the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers, Health Ordinance, 2002. Almost half of the shops have a placement of cigarette packs with candies and snacks mainly visited by primary school children between the ages of 3 and 10.

The industry’s tactics are similar in countries spanning the globe. They include large advertisements, promotions for cheap and even free tobacco products, and high-visibility product placements by stores, street vendors, kiosks and other retailers surrounding schools. Tobacco products, advertisements and branding are often visible from inside schools or right outside school entrances, making it impossible for kids to avoid them.