AFRO-NETS> The Drum Beat - 110 - Tobacco

[Warren Feek <wfeek@comminit.com>]

The Drum Beat - 110 - Tobacco
----------------------------- 
September 10, 2001

from The Communication Initiative...global forces...local 
choices...critical voices...telling stories... 

Partners: The Rockefeller Foundation, BBC World Service Trust, The 
CHANGE Project, CIDA, The European Union, Exchange, FAO, Johns Hop-
kins University Center for Communication Programs, The Panos Insti-
tute, Soul City, The Synergy Project, UNAIDS, UNICEF, USAID, WHO.

Chair of Partners Group: Denise Gray-Felder, Rockefeller Foundation 
<dgray-felder@rockfound.org>

Director: Warren Feek <wfeek@comminit.com>

***

..TOBACCO..


TRENDS 

1. 4 million people die every year; by 2020 [estimate] 8.6 million 
will be killed every year - 70% will occur in developing countries; 
Tobacco-related diseases could kill more people than HIV, tuberculo-
sis, maternal mortality, motor vehicle accidents, suicide and homi-
cide combined; Globally, 48% of men and 12% of women [approx] cur-
rently smoke. In developing countries, 48% of men and 7% of women 
smoke. This refers to cigarettes and does not the use of chewing to-
bacco, beedis, snuff etc. By the mid 2020s, predicted that only 15% 
of the smokers will live in developed countries. 
http://www.comminit.com/BaseLineArchives/sld-25.html
http://www.comminit.com/BaseLineArchives/sld-1617.html


PROGRAMMES AND ADVOCACY

2. Smoke Free Villages - Thailand

Approached youth in villages around Bangkok to brainstorm anti-
smoking strategies. Resulted in the ASH Smoke Free Villages campaign 
WHICH used youth as health advocates, printed material, art murals 
and organised community events to convey their anti-smoking message. 
Contact: <ashthai@asiaaccess.net.th> 
http://www.comminit.com/pdscc2001/sld-1782.html

 
3. Soul City: Multi Media - South Africa
 
TV drama features story lines such as a smoker trying to quit, commu-
nity initiatives to stop shopkeepers from selling tobacco to chil-
dren, and youngsters trying to pressure their friends to try smoking. 
Soul City also uses PR and advertising to advocate for the anti-
tobacco campaign and also to popularize the television and radio pro-
grammes. 
Contact: Garth Japhet <garthj@soulcity.org.za>
http://www.comminit.com/pdscc2001/sld-1763.html

 

4. Traditional Media - Indonesia
 
Such as the wayung kulit (shadow puppet theatre)...Among the messages 
are warnings about the harmful effects of smoking for pregnant moth-
ers and their unborn babies, and the dangers of smoking for all fam-
ily members...Heart Foundation Indonesia promotes tobacco-free areas 
in factories and educational institutions. Studies show strong cul-
tural disapproval of tobacco use among women and the numbers of women 
smoking are low, however, there has been an upward trend in women 
smoking. 
Contact: <S.Barraclough@latrobe.edu.au> 
http://www.comminit.com/pdscc2001/sld-1738.html

 
5. 2 Smart 2 Smoke Theatre - USA
 
For elementaty school children to increase awareness and prevent the 
onset of smoking. Two 30-minute plays presented at 160 schools in 
Minnesota. 1 play for kindergarten through 3rd grade and the other 
for 4th through 6th grade. Includes classroom activities and take-
home materials for parents. The K-3 play was an adaptation of the 
Three Little Pigs. 
Contact: Dr. CL Perry <perry@epivax.epi.umn.edu> 
http://www.comminit.com/pdscc2001/sld-1760.html
  
 
6. Internet Tobacco Control Network - Czech Republic 
 
Uses ICT as a basis for communication and training of professionals 
working in the field of health and awareness raising. Traditional me-
dia, such as TV and newspapers refuse to publish anti-tobacco infor-
mation. This project reaches the Network's target group: decision-
makers and the general public. 
Contact: Sushma Palmer <Spalmer.CECHE.DC@worldnet.att.net>
http://www.iicd.org/base/learning?region=4
 

7. MelJol - India
 

"...when we started the cleanliness campaign, we discovered that much 
of the litter was empty gutka (a mixture of tobacco, areca nut and 
aromatic flavors, plus several other additives) sachets...made us 
aware that large numbers of children were eating something that could 
give them mouth cancer. While schools were severe with children 
caught smoking, gutka was allowed." 
Contact: <jerry Pinto> 
http://www.changemakers.net/journal/00september/pinto.cfm


8. Tobacco Kills, Don't be duped,

[WHO - funded by UN Foundation] Aims to strengthen the ability of 
journalists and other health communicators to sift facts from fiction 
about tobacco use, its spread and promotion. Engages and supports na-
tionally based social entrepreneurs and change agents from the media, 
NGO community, health professions or private sector, and government." 
Contact: Chitra Subramaniam <subramaniamc@who.ch>


9. World No Tobacco Day - 31 May

2001 theme was Second hand smoke kills - Let's Clear the Air - a call 
for global bans on public smoking as the comprehensive way to protect 
people's health. 
 
2002 theme is Tobacco Free Sports. Work with sports associations to 
take tobacco-free sports to the regional and local level. WHO invites 
local organizations to plan Tobacco-Free Sport events now.
http://tobacco.who.int/en/advocacy/wntd.html
http://tobacco.who.int/en/advocacy/wntd2001a.html 


10. BBC's "Tobacco On Trial" - Global 

5 x 30-minute radio programmes broadcast. Focus on Malawi; Virginia; 
and, Hungary. Broadcast on the English Service. Part of a "Tobacco on 
Trial" season with other programmes for the Arabic, Thai, Hindi, Ben-
gali, Spanish and Africa language services. 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sci_tech/features/health/tobaccotrial 


IMPACT DATA 
 
11. Impact: 2 Smart 2 Smoke - USA
 
Among the students in grades 4-6, 76% reported that they learned 
about alternatives to smoking and 56% practised ways to say "no" to 
cigarette offers. The theatre production did affect intentions to not 
smoke in the future for all of the students. 
Contact: Dr. CL Perry <perry@epivax.epi.umn.edu>
http://www.comminit.com/idcc2001/sld-1762.html
 

12. Impact: Soul City - South Africa
 
95% of people exposed to Soul City increased knowledge about the 
negative effects of smoking. Smoking perceptions changed; the most 
popular of which was, "It is not cool to smoke". Qualitative feedback 
indicated people had been inspired to give up or cut down on smoking.
Contact: Sue Goldstein <suegold@soulcity.org.za>
http://www.comminit.com/idcc2001/sld-1765.html
 
 
RELIGION
 

13. "Baha'i teachings do not prohibit smoking but it is "discouraged 
as unclean and unhealthy"... Buddhism teaches the path of freedom, 
and a clarity of mind and body that comes without addiction...Hindus 
have a great respect for those who lead an exalted life such as poet 
Kalidas "The first among all spiritual practices is the care of the 
body"...One of the 5 essential principles on which Muslim law is 
based is the duty to protect the "integrity of the individual". Any-
thing which might harm the life or health of a person is thought to 
be "contrary to the Spirit of Islam"...Maimonides, the greatest Jew-
ish theologian of the Middle Ages states that "preservation of health 
is an absolute imperative and that it is one way of imitating the 
paths of God"...The Roman Catholic Church has an official position on 
the ill effects of smoking...Churches that developed from the Protes-
tant tradition have always "proscribed the use of tobacco, consider-
ing it to be "a violation of the body, regarded as the temple of the 
Holy Spirit"."

from TFI Meeting on Tobacco & Religion
http://www.comminit.com/stcc2001/sld-1813.html


Also
http://tobacco.who.int/en/religion/index.html
http://www.who.sci.eg/tfi/WNTD2001/IslamicRulings.htm 
http://www.who.sci.eg/tfi/EMROleads-christianview.htm


MATERIALS 

14. Defeat in Trade, Victory in Health - Thailand 

Profiles Thailand's experience with tobacco controls...
http://www.comminit.com/TempoArchives/sld-1611.html
http://www.idrc.ca/reports/read_article_english.cfm?article_num=939 


15. Tobacco Industry Strategies to Undermine WHO

Expert committee found that the tobacco industry regarded WHO as one 
of their leading enemies, and...had a planned strategy to "contain, 
neutralise, reorient'" WHO.
http://www.comminit.com/AboutTimeArchives/sld-1505.html
http://www.who.int/genevahearings/inquiry.html 


16. The Voice of Truth: Multinational Tobacco Industry Activity in 
the Middle East

How tobacco companies tried to subvert Middle East government policy:
http://www.who.sci.eg/tfi/VOICE%20OF%20TRUTH.pdf


17. Curbing the Epidemic: Governments and the Economics of Tobacco 
Control 

World Bank study on tobacco in developing countries:
http://www.comminit.com/Materials/sld-506.html 


18. Tobacco Control Country Profiles (Profiles) 
Monographs at http://tobacco.who.int/en/statistics/index.html


19. Tobaccco Free Initiative 

Includes information on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control 
(FCTC) - which will be the world's first international treaty on to-
bacco control.
http://tobacco.who.int/ 


POLICY GUIDANCE..Tobacco and..

20. ...Women 
http://tobacco.who.int/en/women/index.html


21. ...the Rights of the child
http://tobacco.who.int/en/youth/index.html


22. ...Product Regulations
http://tobacco.who.int/en/fctc/oslo/oslomonograph.pdf


RESEARCH

23. From the Journal of Health Communication... 

- Effective aspects of health communication campaigns
- How tobacco billboards target minorities
- Stigmatized conditions in public health
- Measuring Exposure to Pro- and Anti-Tobacco Marketing among Adoles-
  cents

http://www.aed.org/JHealthCom/V6/N1/abstracts_v6n1.htm
http://www.aed.org/JHealthCom/V3/N2/upfront_v3n2.htm 

***

The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for de-
velopment activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement 
or support by The Partners.

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The Editor - Deborah Heimann 
mailto:dheimann@comminit.com

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