Role of Media in Tobacco Control

Dr.Rana J Singh
MD DPHA IFPM
Sr. Technical Advisor (Tobacco Control)
The Union

This session.

Global Tobacco burden

Tobacco industry interferences and tactics
Tobacco control strategies
Role of media in tobacco control
J2J capacity building report from India

Global Burden of Tobacco

Tobacco killed 100 million people worldwide in
the 20th Century
Leading preventable cause of death kills up to half
of people who use it

Unless urgent action is taken

By 2030 tobacco will kill >8 million people each year
>80% in developing countries
Tobacco could kill 1 billion people during the 21st
Century unless we act now

Tobacco Is Now the Worlds Leading Single

Agent of Death
Global Deaths per Year
(millions)

5.4

5
4.0
4
3
2.1
2

1.9

1.6

1.2

0.9

0.6

0
Tobacco

Lower
Resp
Infect

AIDS

Diarrheal
Disease

TB

Traffic
Injuries

Malaria

Measles

Unless urgent action is taken, tobacco will kill 1 billion people this century
World Health Organization

Global Burden
To sum up:Currently:
5.4 million people die each year
13,400 people each day
560 people every hour

By 2030: Unless urgent action is taken:

8-10 million people a year will die from tobacco use
70-80% of those deaths will occur in low- and middle-income countries

Global Burden
Approximately 80% of the world's tobacco users live
in low- and middle-income countries
Non-cigarette forms of tobacco: kreteks, bidis,
waterpipes and Smokeless Tobacco(mainly in SEAR)
Every day worldwide, there are between 80,000 and
100,000 young people starting to smoke

Tobacco and Health in Low- and MiddleIncome Nations

Growing body of evidence links tobacco use with poor
health outcomes in people living with HIV/AIDS
Potential for tobacco smoking to interact with exposure to
solid fuel smoke and air pollution
Smoking increases incidence, morbidity & mortality of
clinical tuberculosis (TB)

Global Adult Smoking Prevalence

60
50

Percentage

50
40

35
Women
Men

30
22
20
9

10
0
Developed Countries

Developing Countries

Source: Mackay, J., Eriksen, M., & Shafey, O. (2006). The Tobacco Atlas (2nd ed.). Atlanta: American
Cancer Society. Available at http://62.193.232.43:8080/statmap/
8

We stand on the threshold of a global

pandemic of tobacco related diseases that is
nothing short of colossal. The cigarette will
cause far more deaths in this new century
than in the last, irrespective of innovation and
effective clinical and public health
interventions in the future. At no moment in
human history has tobacco presented such a
dire and imminent risk to human health as it
does today.
Sir Richard Peto
9

Tobacco use by women in low- and middleincome countries, which has historically been
very low, is already rising
This poses grave risks for women, their families, and
their communities
Undermines other efforts being made to improve
maternal/child health

10

Child Labour

Use of child labour in tobacco growing and

manufacturing widespread

These children miss out on educational opportunities

that could help lift them out of poverty
11

Environmental Consequences
Wood used to cure tobacco in many countries.
Each year an estimated 494,000 acres of forest
are cut down
Tobacco leeches nutrients from the soil,
requiring more fertilizer use. Runoff from fields
pollutes watersheds vital for drinking water
Cigarette/bidi butts: Major source of litter and
fire
12

Smoking and Second-Hand Smoke

Damage Every Part of the Body
Second-Hand Smoke

Smoking

The Globalization Era

Tobacco has entered the era of
globalization.
Major multinational tobacco
companies function in scores
of countries around the world.

14

The Globalization Era (cont.)

Free trade & financial liberalization have greatly
increased profit opportunities for Big Tobacco
Global communications/marketing has helped
them take advantage of these opportunities
Coordinated lobbying has ensured (so far) that
their profits are protected

By far the Biggest Single Threat to

Tobacco Control Efforts in Low-Income
Countries Comes From the Tobacco
Industry
Influence of deep pockets vs poor nations
Often lack of regulation of political
corporate activity

16

Tobacco use is unlike other threats to global

health. Infectious diseases do not employ
multinational public relations firms. There
are no front groups to promote the spread of
cholera. Mosquitoes have no lobbyists.
-- WHO Zeltner Report, 2000

17

Tobacco exports should be expanded

aggressively, because Americans are
smoking less.
U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle, 1990

--Geoffrey Bible, Philip Morris CEO, 1996

18

Global Expansion
Philip Morris, BAT and Japan Tobacco operated in over 50
countries each and had combined tobacco sales of over
$121 billion, a sum greater than the combined GDPs of:
Albania, Bahrain, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Cambodia,
Cameroon, Estonia, Georgia, Ghana, Honduras, Jamaica,
Jordan, Macedonia, Malawi, Malta, Moldova, Mongolia,
Namibia, Nepal, Paraguay, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo,
Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

19

20

Tobacco Advertisement and exposure to

children and youth

21

Tobacco Advertisement

22

Tobacco Advertisement

23

Marketing and Promotion Toward

Women

Tobacco Industry
targeting women

Camel No. 9 cigarettes

Promotional giveaways

include berry lip balm, cell

phone jewelry, stick-on
tattoos, little purses and
wristbands

... all in hot pink

Tobacco Industry
targeting ethnic
minorities

244qt6iu99u-9iohki mn

Targeting Africa
Mauritius British American tobacco offering
scholarships to high-achieving science students
Kenya BAT sponsoring a beach retreat for legislatures
while tobacco control bill under debate
Zambia BAT initiated a youth smoking prevention
campaign

25

Tobacco Control

Global Tobacco Control is

Underfunded Compared with Other Leading
Causes of Death

27

Global Tobacco Control Is Underfunded

Compared with
Other Leading Causes of Death
$20

$15

Annual Deaths
(millions)

$10

2
$5
1

$0

AIDS

World Health Organization

TB

Malaria

Tobacco

Annual Deaths (millions)

Global Funding ($ Billions)

Global Funding, 2007

(all sources, $ billions)

Taking Action: Framework Convention

on Tobacco Control (FCTC)
The first international agreement on tobacco control
and the first treaty ever negotiated by WHO
Evidence-based treaty
Signed and ratified by

29

Key Provisions of the FCTC

Comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion,
and sponsorship within 5 years of ratification (some
exceptions)
Bans use of misleading and deceptive terms such as
light and mild
Rotating health warnings required on packs that cover
30% or more of the package and can include pictures or
pictograms

Key Provisions of the FCTC

Protection from exposure to SHS in workplaces, public
transport, and indoor public spaces
Encourages tobacco tax increases
Prohibits sale to minors
Strengthens legislation to combat smuggling
Calls for testing, measuring, and regulating the contents
and emissions of tobacco products

MPOWER

Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies

Protect people from tobacco smoke
Offer help to quit tobacco use
Warn about the dangers of tobacco
Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and
sponsorship
Raise taxes on tobacco

Conclusions

Tobacco presents a unique combination of lethality

and neglect
Based on current projections, 1 billion people will die
of tobacco related causes in this century

Even a 10% reduction in this epidemic would be a

huge public health accomplishment
How much more than 10% can we achieve if we act
together, support continuing research and apply what
we know and learn?
33

Tobacco Control and Role of Media

Evolution of role of media in tobacco

consumption
Confluence of three major trends of the past century:
Growth of mass media,
Concomitant rise in cigarette smoking as a social
phenomenon,
And more recently, research to understand and to
decrease the disease burden caused by tobacco use.

Cigarettes are a product of the mass media era; the art and
science of mass communications and mass marketing were
critical to the growth of tobacco use in the past century.

Evolution of role of media in tobacco

consumption
However, the media have contributed significantly
to the roughly 50% decline in smoking prevalence
that took place over the past four decades in US
by:
increasing public knowledge of the health
hazards of cigarette smoking,
helping to change social norms about cigarette
smoking,
and increasing public acceptance of tobacco
control policies

Tobacco Control and Role of Media-The

context
Everyone is exhilarated about the opportunities
offered by media and anxiety about the potential for
misuse
Any phrase or sound bite can affect millions of
people.
In dealing with tobacco, the power of this potential
must never be forgotten
Tobacco captivates people when they cannot
rationally resist its siren call and can unleash a slow,
deadly disease that can kill them even as they try to
escape the tenacious trap of addiction.

Tobacco Control and Role of Media-The

context
Those who are in media or has privilege of access to media
should carefully choose words and images to counter TI
misinformation and temptation aimed at the young
Unless we think and feel that we are fighting a lethal battle
against tobacco use, we will not succeed in stemming the
forces that promote it
We must understand about how tobacco companies use media
to their benefit
I know that, like me, even though you have seen them in
action, you will be amazed by the tactics used to promote
tobacco.

Conclusion
Media has great ability to both encourage and
discourage tobacco use
and
It plays broader societal role within nested levels
of advertising, marketing communications,
consumer marketing, and stakeholder marketing

J2J capacity building report from India

Building capacity in vernacular media

in India, to report on tobacco control
issues
implemented by
Indian Media Centre for Journalists (IMCFJ),
Lucknow, India
Timeline: 2008 2009

Background and Context

Tobacco control issues are poorly reported in regional and
local language papers in India.
Given its high use, any efforts to research and report on
tobacco control issues is met with resistance from people,
decision makers and policy makers.
The implementation of the national law (COTPA, 2003) has
been limited or even absent in many states
The ten Hindi speaking states of north India (68 % Indias
population and 62% of the seats/constituencies of the Indian
Parliament) are an important constituency to mobilize
tobacco control efforts in the country.
Poverty and tobacco consumption are high in this north
Indian belt, with many young people becoming vulnerable to
tobacco addiction, especially of bidis and the various forms of
chewing tobacco.

Background and Context

The Unions South East Asia(USEA) identified and invited The
Indian Media Centre for Journalists (IMCFJ) to increase
awareness about tobacco control issues through a journalist
centred and journalist led interactive programme.
IMCFJ has been involved in building capacity among vernacular,
grassroots based journalists on development related issues
since 1999.
IMCFJ is an off-shoot of a parent body called the Rural
Journalists Association of India (RJAI) which was based in Jaipur
and formed in 1956
Currently IMCFJ has a network of over 7000 Hindi and
vernacular reporters, correspondents, stringers and freelance
writers, contributing to over 120 locally and regionally
produced newspapers, which cover almost all districts of the 10
Hindi speaking states

Background and Context

Objectives of the project:
Organise a media briefing workshop to get support from
leading Hindi and Urdu media proprietors and journalists to
support and increase reportage on tobacco control issues as
part of the World No Tobacco Day 2008.
Conduct journalist to journalist (J2J) briefing workshops for
240 journalists from 10 states and provide information for
articles that will position 270-300 articles in the vernacular
press between September 2008 and March 31, 2009.
Identify 20-30 journalists to be mentored to write
continuously on tobacco control issues from their cities,
districts and states

Activities, strategies and

Training Methods
IMCFJ with technical support from the USEA developed
content, and teaching method, aligned with a strategy
on location and timings of J2J briefings.
The sessions contextualised the tobacco problem to the
state and region where the workshop was to be
conducted.
All material was translated into Hindi and provided as
paper copies

Teaching methods
Journalist to journalists briefing
Avoid experts, get good communicators who have the ability
to keep journalists engaged through their session
Make sessions informative, interactive yet enjoyable, Sessions
were proactive
Contextualise presentation to local problems and challenges
Present new styles of research, analysing and writing
Each presentation of 15-20 minutes, followed by 15 minutes
Q&A
Show the complexity of issues, present science simply
Sensitise journalists about their personal choice of tobacco
use remain objective, No advocacy or fear psychosis
Material: Case studies, Newspaper cuttings English and
Hindi which demonstrate good and bad reporting,
factsheets, documentary films

Achievements
Greater support to coverage on tobacco related stories in local and
regional press, from media proprietors and Journalists
540 participants (298 journalists, 242 media interns and students
of journalism) trained who published nearly 905 articles
Trained journalists are able to identify, research and report on
tobacco related stories
IMCFJ members and J2J participants maintain a blog where all
articles and updates are fed (www.j2jtobacco.blogspot.com )
Greater coverage in major Hindi newspapers: Nearly all (22) major
regional Hindi and Urdu papers have reported more on tobacco
related stories
The top 12 Hindi newspapers devoted more than 17 full pages to
tobacco related stories during the eight month project period

Numbers of stories on tobacco in vernacular press (top 8 papers

only)

Dainik Bhaskar

May 07-Sept 08 (16 Oct 08- May

months) (a)
(8months) (b)
4
32

Hindustan

25

257

Nai Duniya

22

450

Dainik Jagran

16

167

Amar Ujala

14

366

Navbharat

11

120

Aaj

125

Awaaz

100

37

137

270

Name of the Paper

09 Percentage change
(b-a/a X 100)
700

Leading papers that have published tobacco related stories (figures

IRS Round 1 09 readership survey)
Name of the No.
of Circulation
Paper
editions
(000)
Dainik Jagran
Dainik
Bhaskar
Hindustan
Amar Ujala
Rajasthan
Patrika
Punjab Kesari

18
16

16072
12878

Numbers of Coverage (sq Terms of page(s) dedicated

stories
(coverage/1363.02),
cms)
(total)
approx
16
2969
2.2
32
3581
2.6

11
6
6

9303
8183
6668

25
14
7

4254
2811
2124

3.1
2.0
1.6

3321

819

0.6

Navbharat
Times
Navbharat
(Chhatisgarh
only)
Prabhat
Khabar
Hari
Aaj
Awaaz

11

2270

986

0.7

3 (2)

1277

11

1442

1.1

1232

1062

0.8

2
1
1

1243 (?)
1189
1017

3
3
3

908
1128
1216

0.7
0.8
0.9

17.1 full pages

Theme-wise break up: Type of stories and their distribution

among Hindi national and single edition papers
Type of stories

National papers

Regional/ single city

papers

Features- Health related

9.2

20.4

Feature- Tobacco industry

3.6

Negligible

Feature- Pack warnings

7.6

9.3

Feature smoke free

7.3

8.4

Local news and news reports

44.3

33.6

op-eds, 19.8

24.2

Analysis,
editorials

opinion,

Investigative stories

8.2

4.2

Achievements..
Media led advocacy: Extensive media reporting
before October 2 (that is adoption of the new
smoke free initiative) led to adoption of smokefree policies by many jurisdictions
Investigative stories (exposing grey markets in
tobacco, no effective action to reduce area
under cultivation for tobacco, poor enforcement
of legislation etc
Mentorship for 30 journalists who have shown
commitment and promise
Article positioning (event based, features,
highlighting local issues) has been very successful

Limitations
Focus of the project on print media only there is a tremendous
opportunity to tap into radio (community, private FM and
Government FM and SW band radio) stations, internet portals and
other electronic media.
Media monitoring weak, especially in Urdu press and most
vernacular magazines
Quality control of stories: Despite materials, data and contacts
for resource persons for quotes, there have been a few cases of
poor quality reporting
It is difficult to keep editors and media proprietors especially
those which are independent and at local level from pressure of
tobacco industry
Constant support and motivation is required to keep these media
houses to abstain from taking tobacco funds or succumbing to
their pressure

Conclusion
Both Tobacco industry and tobacco control forces are using the
media to influence the attitudes and behaviour of the public
Media can play powerful influence to curtail tobacco use
Media communications play a key role in shaping tobaccorelated knowledge, opinions, attitudes, and behaviors among
individuals and within communities
It plays important role in getting the Health Messages Across to
different sections of the society
Media can break the myths about tobacco and those caused by
tobacco advertising: independence, social success, sexual
attraction, thinness, cool, macho etc and expose TI
Mass media campaigns and reporting designed to discourage
tobacco use can change youth attitudes about tobacco use, curb
tobacco initiation, and encourage adult cessation

Thanks