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610 Im transient situations, the approach can be more direct. _nere is often no time.to _eek the d_e
Abstract
Im transient situations, the approach can be more direct. ~nere is often no time.to ~eek the d~e process o~ law~ and usually a s~oker when potitely co~£~o~t~' ,~ill cease ~lluti~ the air in your space. ~er~ng ~a~ the ~k~r is a~saili~ innocen~ bystanders with a docu~n~ ~oxlc substance, ~he ~g~ker can ~ £orceEul £n the request (£~ ~acc does ~t work) and ¢~ to ~ successful.
Fields
- Named Organization
- Advertising Association
- American Cancer Society
- American Health Foundation (Health Research)
Plaintiff- American Lung Association
Voluntary health organization concerned with fighting lung disease, promoting lung health and advocating clean air, indoors and out.- American Public Health Association (Public health organization)
Professional organization for people working in public health- ASH (Action on Smoking and Health)
Action on Smoking and Health- Avon (Makeup)
- Benson and Hedges (Benson & Hedges (elite cigarettes, 1948))
A small, elite cigarette company in NY, NY in 1948.- Biometric Society
- British Broadcasting Company (BBC) (British Broadcasting Company)
The British Broadcasting Company did "Panorama" show (British "60 Minutes"), an expose' of the tobacco industry called "A Pack of Lies" circa 1993.- British Medical Journal (BMJ) (scientific periodical)
scientific periodical- British-American Tobacco Co Ltd (British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd.)
British-American Tobacco Company Limited was a operating group under B.A.T. Industries P.L.C. in 1985.- Canadian Council on Smoking and Health
- *Department of Health and Human Services
- *Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) (use United States Departmen (use @hew_dept)
- EEC (European Economic Community)
European Economic Community- Federal Trade Commission (Enforcement agency for laws against deceptive advertising)
Enforces laws against false and deceptive advertising, including ads for tobacco products. Ensures proper display of health warnings in ads and on tobacco products;collects and reports to Congress information concerning cigarette and smokeless tobacco advertising, sales expenditures, and the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide content of cigarettes.- Government Printing Office (GPO)
- Health and Welfare Canada
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (WHO cancer research arm)
International Agency for Research on Cancer - The cancer research arm of the WHO. Conducted a multi-center epidemiology study on ETS, initiated in 1988, data collection completed in 1994 and results were published in 1998- International Society and Federation of Cardiology
- International Union Against Cancer
- John Wiley & Sons (Publisher)
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- Metra
- Ministry of Health (Located in Singapore)
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- National Institute of Education
- National Institutes of Health
- Office on Smoking and Health
Responsible for creating reports on the health effects of smoking. Created by the Public Health Service.- Preventive Medicine (periodical)
- Research Council
- Salvation Army
- Seventh Day Adventists (religion that prohibits smoking. runs smoking cessation prog)
- Singer
- Statistics Canada (Federal Statistics Canada)
- The Shield (anti-tobacco and alcohol publication of the 1920s)
- Tobacco Institute (Industry Trade Association)
The purpose of the Institute was to defeat legislation unfavorable to the industry, put a positive spin on the tobacco industry, bolster the industry's credibility with legislators and the public, and help maintain the controversy over "the primary issue" (the health issue).- Tobacco Institute of Australia
- Trinity College
- University of California Press
- University of Manitoba
- University of Minnesota
- University of Newcastle
- University of Southern California
- Washington University in St. Louis
- World Conference on Smoking and Health
- World Health Organization (Concerned with global public health)
International organization concered with public health worldwide - American Cancer Society
- Named Person
- Alexander, H.M. (Researcher on Youth Smoking, Newcastle, New South Whales)
- Ary, Dennis V.
- Ashley, Mary Jane
- Ball, Keith
- Best, Allan
- Best, J. Allan
- Big, Anthony
- Brown, K. Stephen
- Caceres, Eduardo
- Chapman, Simon ("Tobacco Control" Editor for British Medical Journal)
- Collishaw, Neil E. (Canada Nat. Health & Welfare Ministry, Tobacco Products Dir.)
- Dobson, Annette J.
- Europe, Phillip Morris
- Flay, Brian R., Ph. D. (professor, University of Illinois at Chicago)
Plaintiff- Fletcher, Charles (Chest Physician)
Colleague of Sir Richard Doll, did research on why doctors who continued to smoke did so and what effect they'd found giving up smoking was when they gave it up. 8 smoking.- Glantz, Stanton
- Gray, Nigel
- Heart, Stanford
- Hill, David
- Jones, R.T. (BATCO GR&DC)
R. T. Jones was with BATCO-GR&DC. (Source: NM Tobacco Companies Personnel List)- Kunze, Michael
- Lee, John F.
- Legge, David A.
- Lewis, Ian C.
- Lynch, Cornelius J.
- Marcus, Lola
- Mulligan, Linda
- Ochsner, Alton, M.D. (President, Ochsner Foundation, Early Anti-Tobacco Expert)
Plaintiff- Overholt, Richard
- Pechacek, Terry (Office of Smoking and Health Associate Director for Science)
- Rahman, Abdul
- Range, Brooks
- Rayner, Kent J.
- Reek, Van
- Ryan, Katherine B.
- Sawatzky, Vern
- Severson, Herbert H. Ph.D.
Plaintiff- Simpson, David
- Stanwick, Richard S.
- Thomson, Margaret P.
- *Todd, G.F. (use Geoffrey Todd)
- Trudeau, Pierre
- Weissman, Wendy
- Wood, Michael
- Woodward, Stephen D.
- Wynder, Ernst L., M.D. (Epidemiologist, Sloan Kettering, Anti-Tobacco Expert)
1993 First scientist to report in 1950 on the carginocencity of cigarettes in rats painted with tar. Assistant at Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research Directed the American Health Foundation (AHF) from 1984 to his death in 1998. - Ary, Dennis V.
- Master ID
- TI08350674-1466
Related Documents: - Date Loaded
- 18 Jul 2005
- Box
- 1618
Document Images
Gray l~. The social and economic implications of tobacco use. In:
Forbes WF, Frecker RC, l~ostbakken D, eds. Proceedings of the Fifth
World Coaference on Smoking au~ ttealch, Winnipeg, Canada, 1983.
Ottawa: Canadian Council on Smoking and Health, 1985.
Glantz SA. The tobacco industry's response to scientific evidence on
i~voluntary mklng. In: Forbes WI~, Frecker RC, l~stbakken D, eds.
Proceedings of the Fifth World Conference on Smoking and Health,
Winnipeg, Canada, 1983. Ottawa: Canadian Council on Smoking and
Health, 1985.
T108351281
623
TO~CO C~LTIVATION
Since its introduction as a cash crop by the Malaysian Tobacco Company (a
aubsidiary of the B.A.T.) in 1959, flue-cured Virginia tobacco has increased
steadily in hectarage and production. By 1982, 12,000 hectares were culti-
vated, mainly in two rural states, and it is expected to increase to 15,800
hectares by 1985. The output had increased from 1.82 million kilograms in
1970 to the peak of 9.4 million kg in 1982 - worth US$38 million. In 1972,
the National Tobacco Board was formed to control production and marketing,
to prevent outbreak of tobacco disease and to encourage growth of the indus-
try. In the 4th Malaysia Plan (1980-85) US$8 million was a11ocated for
research and subsidies.
The tobacco industry is unusual in Malaysia as the functions of growing,
curing and manufacturing are performed by three separate groups. Because of
this separation of functions, the farmers are more interested in quantity
than in quality. The yield is still low at about 700 kg/hectare as compared
to the ideal of 1500 kg/hectare.
Malaysia's population is about 14 million. About 62,000 families (120,000
people) are involved in tobacco farming, and the 360 independent curets
employ about 25,000 workers. Most of the farmers have small farms, about
I/2 to i hectare each, resulting in about US$I00-$140 income per month for
each farmer.
The Minister for Primary Industries has declared '~igher tobacco prices have
raised the socioeconomic standards of people in the rural areas" and the
Deputy Agriculture Minister pointed out "the success of tobacco growing
promises to raise rural living standards of the East Coast States". In
~dition, these two states have been economically backward with strong
opposition political parties. The irony is that these parties are conserva-
tive and Huslim parties. The extent of influence by Islam on tobacco is
still not clear. Alcohol is considered "haram" (sinful) while tobacco smok-
ing is only 'tmakroh" (discouraged).
TO~ I@~OFACI~R~RB
are seven companies manufacturing cigarettes, of which the three
T108351282
largest are ~jltiamtio~al: Malaysian Tobacco Co~pany (HTC), Roth~ans and R J
~olds. ~ t~sel~ holds 70Z of the ~rke~ and t~s turnover has risen
fro~ US$73 milIion ~n 1974 ~o US$27~ Billion in 1982, a
ni~ years, an average of 30~ per year. The profits have also increased
consistently fr~ ~S$22 m[ll~on in ~978 Co US$~2 m~llion in 1982, an
increase of 90~. ~C is the 19~h largest co,any in the ~laysian cor~rate
sector. ~h~ns also ~ncreased i~s turnover from US$I16 million
U~145 m~li~ in 1982 (ri~ of 2~%) a~ its pre~ax profits rose from ~8.3m
to $II.3m (increase of 37%). The total turnover for all cigarettes sold
1982 was nearly US$460 million.
This figure can be compared to the US$273 m£11£on allocated to the Health
Ministry for a period of five years. The government derived about 47Z of
the total turnover £n various forms of taxes. This large amount could
easily influence the government in its dealings with the issue of cigarette
smoking.
The tobacco manufacturers have a direct interest in the tobacco growing as
the. industry, unable to deny the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, is
now exploltlng the economy of the tobacco farmers to justify their business
and to~nfluence the government from taking any action against smoking.
They still provide technical expertise, guarantee purchase of tobacco and
provide almost 75% of the fertilisers used. Since 1959, it has spent US$4.2
milli6n in helping the tobacco farmers. At present 60Z of the tobacco
required for cigarette manufacture £s locally produced and is expected to
increase to 65-70Z by 1985.
Cigarettes were the leading form of product advertised in 1981, when USa9
million was spent, the only product to exceed the US$8 million mark. Until
cigarette advertisements were banned from radio and television (both govern-
ment owned), US$0.68 million was spent on radio advertisements and US$2.3
million on television in 1978.
In 1978~ the Minister of Information declared that cigarette advertisements
~ould not be banned, as he believed that banning is futile in reducing smok-
ing and would only reoult in greater unemployment! But by 1979~ several
restrictions had been made on different occasions. Firstly, advertisements
c~id not im~1ve ~eople. They were then restricted in number. Later
advertlsem~nt$ were not allowed before 9 p.m. It was then decided to add
the health warning notice which was silent but later was to be voiced over.
The frequent changes in rules led to complaints by the manufacturers.
"Since ~he begimn~r~ of this year, almost every three months, there have
been addlt~onal guidelines on advertising. This disrupts marketin~ and
~rom~t~onsl strategies. W~ny not 5~n all cigarettes advertisements~" In
!982, all cigarette advertisements on television, radio and all government
publications were prohibited B then the new Minister said
advertxsementa for~
and could be replaced
o . er ze~e~t~eo. This action had far reaching implications as both radio
and televisi.on are entirely government o~ned. Wearly half of the adults
regularly listened to the radio and there are 2.5 million television sets
(each with a~ average of four viewers) in a population of 14 million.
TlO83512t
Of course, the cigarette companies continued their promotional campaigns as
they said nThe ban is definitely making our advertising task difficult - new
ways out of this dilemma have to be found". The newspapers offered them a
suitable channel, with over 50 newspapers in eight languages and a total
circulation of over four million published in the country. Full page multi-
coloured advertisements appeared regularly in the papers. Although the
warning sign is compulsory, it is small and placed inconspicuously in one
corner.
Cigarette companies often camouflaged their advertisements by using brand
names to sponsor certain events, especially in sports. It could be '~Benson
and Hedges" Golf, "Football sponsored by Dunhill" or Rothman's "Grand Prix"
but not only are the warning signs not included in such advertisements~
these events could be advertised on radio and television. An insidious
campaign by I~TC, in launching their new brand 'heritage", is the holding of
an exhibition '~leritage in Gold" at different towns over the last two years~
each time with numerous announcements and the logo of 'heritage" and "Benson
and Hedges" displayed over radio and television. Winston had a campaign to
associate their flying eagle symbol with the sale of prints of the eagle for
the World Wildlife Fund. Live football telecasts were sponsored by Dunhill
of London showing non-tobacco products. The Malaysian Press Awards are
sponsored by the Malaysian Tobacco Company.
CIGARETTE SI~OKII~ 11~ HALAYSIA
The number of cigarette smokers has increased by about 5-7% over the last I0
years. In 1975, a study by a leading newspaper showed that 1.25 million or
20% of the total adult population smoked. Most of them (91%) were males.
Nearly three-quarters of them (74%) were in the lower socioeconomic class
earning less than US$125 a month. The average cigarette consumption per
adult aged 15 years and above has risen from 1440 cigarettes/year in 1965 to
over 2000 cigarettes/year in 1978, an increase of 44%. In 1977, over I0
million cigarettes were consumed.
Recent studies on secondary schoolchildren showed that the incidence of
smoking is about 20%. About half of the children were habitual smokers and
about 20% of them had smoked for over three years. Concern has been shown
about student smokers, not so much because of the health dangers of ciga-
rettes but due to a close association with drug addiction. The Education
Ministry issued a circular ~ha~ no smoking is allowed on the school premises
except in the teachers common room. Students caught smoking could be
~nished by- warning, caning or even suspension. This did not apply to
college students.
Except for elderly village women, smoking is still uncommon in women. A
recent study of women attending an Obstetrics & Gynaecology Clinic showed
only 3% were smoking, in contrast to 41% of their husbands who smoke. Even
those who did were mainly light smokers.
Be£ore 1980, action against smoking was slow and sporadic. The ban on smok-
ing in air-conditloned cinemas in the larger towns was surprisingly
effective.
T108351284
The medical profession was ohe first to raise the issue of the ill-effects
of smoking. The MMA, together with the Ministry of Health, formed a joint
Antl-smokin~ Committee in 1970. After nearly five years of lobbying against
strong opposition the breakthrough was achieved. In 1977, the Cabinet
approved the proposed legislation that all cigarette packets should incl~e
the health warning: "Smoking is hazardous to health" (or in Malay, merokok
membahayakan kesihatan). Although the effects of the health warning are
debatable, this is the most definitive sign that the government acknowledges
the dangers of smoking, thus making subsequent demands easier to justify.
Progress was slow partly beca~,se many of the political leaders were
s~6kers. The first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, even declared he
anjOU's~ "smoking. The first Speaker of the Federal Parliament was made Chair-
man of Rothmans (Malaysia) when he retired. Packets of Rothmans cigarettes
were especially prepared and distributed free to all Members of Parliament.
In ~980 the World Health Theme on smoking proved to be a catalyst in focus-
~ng~att'entlon on the issues of smoking. The Ministry of Health, in
r~tlonLwith the Medical Associations and consumer bodies, led a State-to-
~t~_af~-'~.~pa-ign featuring government personalities.
It.~ was also opportune that the new Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir, was a
medical doctor and a non-smoker. New ant i-smoking measures were taken,
cul{ninating in the 19-polnt Federal Government circular prohibiting govern-
ment off,cars from smoking in the office and at meetings and restricting
¢igsrette advertisements. The circular is however not law but only an
adm~n%strat~ve directive. No mention was made of action for defaulters and
impl~me~tstion has not been uniformly achieved, much depending on the head
of-dep~rtment. At the start, "no-smoking" notices were not even available
and ~he Malaysian Medical Association had to supply our posters to many
gov~rn'ment departments. Several town councils took action to prohibit
advertising in public places including the feder~l capital and the state
cap~l of Kelantan~ the largest tobacco growing state. There were,
however, several loopholes. The act mainly covered roads and public
buildings. Private buildings including such public places as restaurants,
cinemas and even stadiums could continue advertising even though these are
obviously accessible to the public.
Smoki~tg on p~blic transport, especially buses, became a burning is~ue with
numerous letters appearln~ in the press. Although ~he Ro~d Transport
Ordinance of 195~ prohibits smoking by bus drivers ~nd conductors wh~le at
work '~nd~ve~ prohibits amokiu~ by passengers in buse~ which h~ve No-Smoklng
s~gns~ implementation was not ef~e¢~ive a~ ~¢ ~ left to ~he bus opera-
tots. N(~-$m~k~ areas were provided in trains and ferries. The national
airline ~n early 1983 took an unprecedented step of converting the seating
to Ehe vertical div~slon on the grounds that smokers had complained that
they always had to sit at the rear. Protests made by ASH of the MMA were
imstrumem, tal in persuadlng MAS to change thls decision back to fore-aft
division.
The I~82 budget increase for excise duties on local tobacco and import
duties o~ imported ~o~¢e ~=i ~= ~e flrs~ slgn~/~cant increase ~n the
price of cigarettes. For many years, the price increase of a packet of 20
clgarettes~was lo~er than the rate of inflation, being only 60 cents US in
T1083,51285
627
1980. The increase in duties led to an increase of 15 cents US per packet.
The sudden rise in price did lead to a drop in the sales - as admitted by
MTC "fewer cigarettes w~re sold as a result of the increase in prices".
Since then, the manufacturers have had to increase prices again by another 5
cents due to higher production costs. Just last week the Finance Minister
announced a further increase in duties on imported cigarettes and cut rags
tobacco so as to cut down imports which had reduced demand for local tobacco
leaves from 94.7% in 1979 to 83.4% in 1982. Nith the increase, the cost of
imported cigarettes is likely to go up by 15-20 cents per 20s packets.
Forthcoming action should be targeted along the following lines:
(I) Banning all cigarette advertisements, or at least plugging the loopholes
on cigarette advertisements, such as increasing the size of the warning
sign~ preventing pseudo adverts with the use of cigarette brand names on
non-tobacco products.
(2) Stopping all cigarette sponsorhip of sports events.
(3) Publication of tar/nicotlne/carbon monoxide contents. As was revealed
by the Health Ministry's study of twelve brands of locally manufactured
cigarettes, the tar/nlcotine levels were much higher. The tar content
ranges from 18-61 mg, with nine brands at 22-29 mg and only two brands
at 18-19 mg. The nicotine levels were at or above 2 mg in three brands,
and 1.5-1.9 mg in six brands.
(4) Stricter implementation of non-smoking areas in public places.
(5) Greater efforts in health education especially in the non-English
language media and to the youth.
T108351286
PAPUA
Hartin ToVadek
Minister for Health
P.O. Box84, Kooedobu
Papua New Guinea
Konrad Jamrozik
Lecturer in Community Medicine
University of Papua New Guinea
P.O. Box 5623, Boroko
Papua New Guinea
INTRODUCTION
Papua New Guinea consists of the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, lying
just north of Australla, and a number of nearby Pacific islands. It is both
new nation, having gained independence in 1975, and a young nation, with 43Z of
the population being under fifteen years of age. There are 3.5 m£11ion
people speaking at least seven hundred different languages and spread over
terrain varying from tropical atolls to rugged mountains of m~re than
metres. Currently, the major health priorities are those of any developing
country, namely, control of infectious disease, provision of clean water and
adequate sanitation, and extension of maternal and child health services to all
Chose who require chem. Nevertheless, we are aware that the developed coun-
tries, having overcome these problems, now face an epidemic of chronic diseases,
many of which are related in some way to lifestyle, and in particular to
smoking.
HISTORY OF ~4DKIN~ IN PAPUA NEW CUINEA
The origin of tobacco in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is unknown. It appears to have
been introduced into the Phillppines and Java at the e~ of the sixteenth
century, and possibly it was from these areas that it found its way via Malay
traders through Irlan Jaya (West New Guinea) to the Seplk area in the eastern
half of the island. Yrom the $eplk it gradually spread to other areas along
traditional tr~e and exchar~e routes. T~e ~u~b~-efter ahells from the coastal
areas were traded from one gro,p to ~nother until they reached the Highlands
where they were bartered for ~obacco. There is even a legend which tells
to~cco being given to the Kiva£ people by the sacred figure who taught them
to cultlvate food crops. This suggests that native tobacco, known as brus,
been cultivated and s~ked ~ the ~ople o~ PNG since long before t~ sixteenth
century.
T108351287
At t.he time o£ first contact with Europeans in the late nineteenth century,
smoking of home-groom leaf was prevalent amongst a widely scattered popula-
tion throughout the length and breadth of the country, and even in remote
and iuaccesaible areas, as well as in the Islands region. When the peo~le
of r~e Cencral Highlands were discovered in the 1950's, they too were grow-
ing and imoklng tobacco.
Ho~ever~ it would appear that the smoking habits of those who used tobacco
were not excessive. Oniy small amounts were grown, and, as it is very
strong~ only small amounts were used. It was mostly smoked in a bamboo pipe
or wrapped in a green leaf.
The Europeans brought with them loose twist tobacco which they used to trade
for food and labour. The Papua New Gulnean people were attracted to the new
tobacco because it was milder to smoke and easier to carry. It also became
a status symbol. The white man was obviously a 'big man' with his wealth of
axes, guns and other tools, his clothing, and later his aeroplanes - and he
smoked..¢his new tobacco. Therefore it followed quite naturally that PNG
people thought that they looked better or bigger in the eyes of their fellow
_ men if they too smoked this tobacco. It became a fashion and a symbol of a
supposed position within the society. From this example of the "smart thing
to do"~ others, who never smoked even local tobacco before, began to smoke
twist . tobacco. As the supply increased - it was a cheap method of payment
" ""~'0~~ h~rd labour- so did consumption by local people. In the early 1940's
PNG Was'' importing 70,000 kina* worth of twist tobacco, and, despite increas-
• ing iinterest by Europeans in the growing of tobacco for commercial use, it
was ~1958 before twist tobacco was being produced locally in a regular
st~pply.
In the 1960's, cigarettes began to take over and the international tobacco
companies moved into PNG in order to produce twist tobacco and cigarettes.
In 14 years, between 1959 and 1973, the annual consumption of manufactured
tobacco in PNG rose by an incredible 161% - that is, by almost one million
kilograms. Of this 161%, three-quarters was cigarettes, and 90% of the in-
crease took place between 1964 and 1974 after cigarettes began to be manu-
factured in the country. By 1982, total tobacco sales had grown to
K50,310,000 per annum.
The l~ealth Department of PNG spends many =housaztds of kina per year treating
tob~¢~o~~elated illnesses. Both lung cancer and coronary heart disease,
previously al~st unknown, are now being seen ~re frequently. Chronic
resPirato~~ disease is already a problem in the ~ighlands, ~rhaps due to
s~ke f~om.do~stic fires, and acute resplrato~ infecti~ is still a~ng
the top three c~uses of death ~io.nwide. The cost to the country in
absenteeism ~nd loss of productivity due to s~king-related illness has yet
to ~ ~asured,
1 Zina is approximately equal to US$1.15.
T108351288
lvO~CCO ~'~F~rlS/.~ IN PAPUA ~ G~I~EA
Tobacco imports, including prepared tobacco ready for manufacturing in P~G,
as well as some fully-imported brands of cigarettes, are taxed at the rate
of K53.50 per kilogram. In the first eleven months of 1982, the Government
of PI~G earr~ed a total of K20.14 million from excise duty levied on the sales
of locally made cigarettes, which works out at about 30 to 40 toea (or 35 to
45 cents U.S.) per packet of twenty. On top of this, some provinces add
another local tax on the sales of consumer goods iucluding cigarettes.
From excise duty charged on sales of trade (twist) tobacco, the government
made an estimated K3.5 million. To that we must add import duty of K2.5
million on cigarettes made o~zerseas, this tax being designed to protect the
local industry which employs around 700 people in a total non-village work
force of approximately 400,000.
The final total of government revenue from import duty on tobacco and ciga-
rettes during this eleven-month period was approximately K27 million.
Compare this w~th our population of about 3.5 million, and it is seen that
the government benefits by about Kg.00 for every man, woman, and child in
the country.
In 1981, the tobacco farmers in PNG earned a total of K824,000. This
amounts to only 2% of the value of tobacco imports into the country, despite
the fact that a high proportion of their crops was exported to Australia for
processing and then re-exported from there back to PNG. The tobacco
industry, as such, therefore does not contribute anything of significance to
the benefit of the people of our country apart from the employment of 700
people and a mere K824,000 per year in tobacco purchases from local growers.
PROMOTION OF TOBACCO
To summarize the present situation, in the 1940's K70,000 worth of tobacco
products were imported into PNG; in 1982 government revenue alone, from
sales tax and import duty on tobacco products, exceeded K27 million. The
first considerable increase took place within two years of the first ciga-
rette being manufactured in the country, and consumption has escalated
alarmingly since then because of vigorous advertising and sport and cultural
promotions by the major cigarette manufacturers. It has long been the
concern not only of the Healt~ Department of PNG, but of many of our people,
that cigarette smoking is increasing at such a rapid rate. In many of the
poorer househol~s as m~ch ar~ often ore money is spent on cigarettes and
tobacco as on food, with the exception of rice.
More and more younger people are beginning to smoke, with the example being
set by the 'big men', the leaders in business, academic life, government,
sport[ng and social groups, in whose footsteps our yo~r~ people would like
to follow. This example is being actively encouraged by the advertising and
promotion of cigarettes and tobacco by the major companies manufacturing
these products in our country. In the remotest villa~e~ on moun~aln top,
island or valley, one is able to identify the small villa e st e b
s promoting o~e or other o~ the popular
brands of cigarettes or tobacco sold to our people. In 90% of these stores,
this is the only form of advertising to be seen. Cigarette signboards
T108351289
632
similarly dominate roadaide advertising in the larger urban areas. T-shirts
are almost a uniform in our country and probably are one of the most
effective ways of getting a message across. Again, throughout the country,
T-shlrts may ~e seen advertising and extolling the virtues of cigarettes and .
tO~>aCCO.
We are ~.fortunate so far, inasmuch as we do not yet have television and .
tkerefore our people are not exposed to the pernicious advertisir~ seen in
some of those countries which do have this medium. However, we do have
extensive advertising of cigarettes and tobacco in both the newspapers which
are published in PNG, and, of course, in the great majority of those news-
papers .and periodicals that are imported from other countries. Pull-page
a4~vertisements for cigarettes appear a~ least weekly in the local papers,
and cost at least K200 each. We also have radio advertising in several
languages which is extremly effective in a country where many of the people
~a~'no reading skills.
Perhaps' the form of advertising with the greatest impact of all is the
promotion by cigarette companies of major sporting and cultural events in
PNG, For example, the headquarters of the major football club in Port
Mo~esbf-displays a large hoarding announcing that it is also the '%ome" of
a leading cigarette brand. In our newly-developing country we have few
large'business houses or other private enterprise concerns upon whom we can
depend ,for the financial support necessary to sponsor our sporting and
cultural affairs. Most of our people are subsistence farmers living in
~iii~ge& ~and obviously they are not able to fund our nation's love of
s~ort. ~-Therefore the cigarette companies (and formerly the breweries) have
a ready-made audience waiting to receive and applaud their donations and
sponsorship and to defend the advertising of their noxious products.
M ~OVERNMENT'S ~ESPONSE
A few years ago the government was successful in banning the general adver-
tising of alcohol. Today these products are advertised only in so far as
the outlets which sell them may put up a sign advising the public of this.
There is the occasional dispensation when the brewery may sponsor a major
sporting event, usually an internatlon~l one requiring a lot of funding.
Although the Minister of Health does not agree with this personal~y, this
concession had to be made in order £o obtain agreement to the general ban.
The Health Department, in consultation with the PNG Institute of Medical
ReseatS.an4 the Ant~-Smoking Council of PNG, has drawn up legislation which
will effectively ban all advertising and promotion of cigarettes, tobacco
and related products. It also aims to:
- create non-smoking areas in public places,
- establish health education programmes,
- provide clinics and counsellors for those who want to give up
s~oking,
- collect c~rrent informetio~ on trends and attitudes of smokers,
- measure the health consequences of smoking in the co,unity.
T108351290
