Tobacco companies are now advertising cigarettes next to sweets
and snacks at kiosks in front of primary and secondary schools in Africa, a
survey conducted by the African Tobacco Control Alliance
(ATCA) has shown.
“The evidence is clear. British American Tobacco, Philip
Morris International, and other tobacco companies deliberately and
systematically target African children near their schools in order to encourage
cigarette smoking among them,” he said.
The survey was conducted in 2016 in a radius of 100 meters around
79 schools in five African countries, show that the companies targets children
within primary and secondary school age bracket of six to 17.
“The survey findings lay bare the egregious tactics used by
tobacco companies to market their deadly products to young school children,
making them accessible and affordable,” Leonce Sessou, ATCA communications
manager, added.
According to ATCA survey, companies like British American Tobacco
“makes extensive use of advertising and promotion to encourage school children
to experiment with tobacco, increase consumption and normalize the habit.”
The organisation says apart from adverts, “tobacco companies also
promote the sale of single sticks and child-friendly flavoured cigarettes to
lure the children to the cheap and sweet-tasting products.”
The marketing and advertising strategies violate existing
anti-tobacco laws in Nigeria which prohibit tobacco advertising and promotion.
ATCA
called on African governments “to enact and vigilantly enforce laws that
are compliant to the World Health Organisation Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control.”
“If unchecked, the aggressive marketing strategy of tobacco
companies towards children will contribute to a major epidemic of tobacco use
in Africa, causing unprecedented health, economic, social and environmental
consequences,” Mohee said.
Also, Akibode Oluwafemi, deputy executive director of
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), said “the
ATCA report has again exposed the length the tobacco companies will go to
addict our kids”.
“Governments across Africa must put in place and implement
effective measures to stop this unwholesome practice which is targeted at the
lungs of our kids.
“The ban on single sticks and small packs sale, and total
prohibition of tobacco advertising promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) near
schools should be taken with more seriousness and enforced by African
governments.”
According to a 2013 report from the American Cancer Society,
African children, sometimes, smoke more than their counterparts in other
developing regions of the world.
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