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yesilay.org.tr
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YEŞiLAY
•
Expertsmaintain that Turkeyshouldmakeplainpacking
mandatory for cigarettes inorder todeter smoking. The
plainpackagingapplication,which iscritical for protecting
youngpeopleandchildrenwhoarespecifically targeted
by themarketingstrategiesof thecigarette industry, has
been identifiedas themain themeof thisyear'sWorldNo
TobaccoDay (WNTD).
TOBACCO INDUSTRY TARGETS
YOUNG PEOPLE!
R
esearch suggests that the risk of
those who start smoking before
the age of 19 to develop addiction
is higher compared those who start at a
later age. Young people and children are
specifically targeted by the marketing
strategies of the cigarette industry.
May issue of Green Crescent Magazine
drew attention to the efforts of the ciga-
rette companies to boost cigarette con-
sumption, noting that they specifically
target young people. Executive Board
Member TubaDurgut, who activelyworks
on tobacco addiction and carries out
campaigns at the Turkish Green Crescent
Society, described how the tobacco in-
dustry targets children and young people
provided information on the plain packing
application that seeks to reduce cigarette
consumption.
Noting that the picture-based warnings
placed on the cigarette packages of-
fer a certain level of deterrence, Durgut
indicated that a person who smokes
20 cigarettes a day sees these warn-
ings approximately 7,000 times a year.
She asserted that the presence of pic-
ture-based warnings with proven effec-
tiveness is certainly effective on smok-
ers and potential smokers. She argued
that it is legal requirement to have pic-
ture-based warnings on cigarette pack-
ages in our country. "We are glad with
the picture-based warnings application.
However, it is important to rotate these
picture-based warnings and refresh
them at specific intervals and test and
improve their effectiveness on target
groups. New picture-based warnings
which are tested on target groups and
the plain packaging application would be
a major achievement for public health
and we are looking forward to having
them," she said.
World No Tobacco Day's theme: Plain
packaging
Durgut indicated that the World Health
Organization (WHO) has determined the
theme of this year's World No Tobacco
Day (May 31) as the plain packaging.
"A cigarette pack is the most basic com-
munication and marketing tool. Themes
such as freedom, power, charm, and grace
are used to target young people. Candy
and chewing gum packs used to be sold
on the shelves with cigarette pack im-
ages on them. There were serious mar-
keting campaigns targeting women. The
consequences are dire. For instance, the
deaths from lung cancer in women have
increased by 600 percent since 1950s.
The deaths related to lung cancer have
exceeded the deaths from breast can-
cer to become the main cause of death
among women. Removal of the elements
that stimulate smoking is a major invest-
ment in public health," she said.
Pointing out that advertising bans on the
tobacco industry urge these companies
to use indirect methods for promoting
smoking, Durgut stated that nongov-
ernmental organizations and lawmak-
ers have great responsibilities in raising
awareness of families and young people.