Campaign Gets Smoking Parents to Cut Down Lebanon

363 Tob Control: first published as 10.1136/tc.2005.tc200985 on 30 November 2005. Downloaded from News analysis....................................................................................... Australia: campaign gets smoking parents to cut down A campaign to protect children from environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has achieved a significant level of behaviour change by smoking parents. The ‘‘Car and home: smoke free zone’’ campaign resulted in a 55.7% increase in the number of reported smoke-free homes occupied by smokers with children aged under 6. There was also a 41.8% increase in the number of reported smoke-free cars. The ‘‘Car and home: smoke free zone’’ campaign, launched in New South Wales in 2002, has ETS exposure can cause children proved successful in persuading smoking parents to reduce their children’s exposure to secondhand problems from asthma, lower respira- smoke. tory tract infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis, coughing, wheezing, discussions with parents who smoke. by this language group focused on this middle ear infections, and sudden This helped spread the message among issue ‘‘Your visit benefits us, but your infant death syndrome (SIDS). It has the target audience, as well as increas- smoke harms us’’. Another grant target- also been linked to an increased risk of ing the sustainability of the campaign ing Pacific Islander groups found that bacterial meningitis, learning difficul- message beyond the project’s lifespan. the campaign slogan conveyed a differ- ties, autism, behavioural problems, and Although smoking rates continue to ent meaning to the one intended. For heart disease. decline in NSW (the daily rate is 17.2% some of the Samoan language groups The ETS and Children Project was for males and 15.8% for females), rates ‘‘Car and home: smoke free zone’’ was launched in 2002 in New South Wales for Aboriginal and other culturally and taken literally, meaning, ‘‘This is an area (NSW) to limit the exposure of children linguistically diverse groups remain where you are free to smoke’’. The aged 0–6 to ETS in the car and home much higher. It was a priority for the resource developed for this community environment. Campaign activity was project to reach these groups, in view of used the slogan ‘‘Smoking makes kids http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/ funded by a $A2.4 million (US$1.8 their children’s ETS exposure being sick. Smoke outside your home and million) grant from the NSW correspondingly high, too. car’’. Culturally specific resources were Department of Health and was run by A community grants scheme enabled also developed for use by Aboriginal a taskforce of government and non- local groups to conduct culturally appro- communities, including professional governmental organisations (NGOs). priate projects within their own com- development material for Aboriginal The main message of the campaign munities. The funding for each group health workers. was summarised in the slogan ‘‘Car varied according to the scope and size of The campaign has been rigorously and home: smoke free zone’’ and their proposal and the type of activity evaluated. By the end of the campaign parents and carers were asked to make they wished to undertake, and ranged period 73% of homes with a smoker and their homes and cars smoke-free by from $A4850 to $A30 000 (US$3600– children aged 0–6 years reported being going outside if they needed to smoke 22 500). Applicants for the grants were totally smoke-free with a further 18% and by asking visitors to do the same. on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. required to work with at least one of the reporting they did not smoke when their Resources were developed to deliver organisations represented on the task- children were in the same room. This is the campaign message in English and a force, which led to the formation of considered a great result and a good number of local community languages, strong networks. example of what can be achieved when which were reinforced in three mass Some grants translated existing government and NGOs work together. It media campaigns. Commercials aired all resources into community languages is also encouraging to see those parents over the state on television and radio, with the result that information is now and carers who are unable to quit, supported by billboards and stories and available in Arabic, Assyrian, Bosnian, change their smoking behaviour to features in newspapers and magazines. Croatian, Farsi, Greek, Khmer, Italian, protect the health of their children. Health professionals and childcare Mandarin, Samoan, Serbian, Spanish, workers were also targeted, to encou- LIAN YIOW Tongan, and Vietnamese. Some grant rage them to include information New South Wales Cancer Council, Sydney, recipients adapted resources to ensure about the health risks of ETS in their Australia; [email protected] that they were both linguistically and culturally appropriate for their community. For example, the issue of hospital- Lebanon: water pipe All articles written by David Simpson ity was seen as a potential barrier to unless otherwise attributed. Ideas and making the home smoke-free for some line to youth items for News Analysis should be sent Arabic speaking people, as they did not Most Arab countries, like many other to: [email protected] want to offend visitors by asking them low to middle income nations, are still to smoke outside. The slogan developed in the relatively early stages of the www.tobaccocontrol.com 364 News analysis Tob Control: first published as 10.1136/tc.2005.tc200985 on 30 November 2005. Downloaded from Tobacco Control 2003;12:338). Some think the latest trend marks a minor step forward, while others reckon it is merely a refinement of double stan- dards. The real motivation is probably commercial: tobacco companies know that, as in politics, a week is a long time for the truth about smoking to linger, allowing the glamorous fable to be resumed untainted. India: still at the bravery game In our last issue, we reported the good news that Godfrey Philips, Indian sub- sidiary of Philip Morris, had decided to In Lebanon, youth and women are the target of a marketing campaign featuring a new tobacco abandon the bravery awards scheme it product for use with the more traditional water pipe. had used so successfully for many years to promote its Red & White cigarette brand (see Tobacco Control 2005;14:297). cigarette tobacco epidemic. Lebanon has multinationals and more recently the However, it has already become apparent the dubious position among Arab coun- state sponsored tobacco companies are tries of being the only one with rela- of hip, trendy, and successful young tively equal rates of cigarette smoking persons enjoying the ideals more com- among men and women. The water pipe monly attributed to the west. Most is a traditional form of tobacco smoked recently, a picture of a bikini clad young in Arab countries, including Lebanon. woman lying beside a swimming pool in Recently, trends have shifted between Beirut and smoking a water pipe was tobacco types, and water pipe smoking widely circulated. To traditionalists, is becoming the preference for young such pictures will undoubtedly portray people and women specifically, ousting an image of Lebanon not welcomed by the once more popular cigarette. As an the eastern world. But to others, it will indicator of its popularity, thriving new seem an affirmation of the country’s delivery services have appeared, linked future prosperity. To those who want to to mobile phones. By using their phones profit from western minded young con- in accordance with prescribed direc- sumers, such images must seem like http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/ tions, customers can even specify the helpful free marketing. Whatever their number and flavour of pipes they want. cultural significance, the lifestyle they According to how many times they call illustrate has serious implications for the sales line, the appropriate water the health of future generations of pipe(s) will be delivered to their home Lebanese people. for the equivalent of just US$1 dollar apiece. RIMA AFIFI SOWEID Taking advantage of this visible trend, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University the state subsidised tobacco company of Beirut, Lebanon; [email protected] recently launched a new tobacco product for use with the water pipe. It is USA: TIME’s lingering clearly aimed at the youth market—its on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. name, ‘‘Shabablek’’, literally translates double standard as ‘‘Youthful’’. Its advertisements depict The cover of TIME magazine on 17 young men and women enjoying eve- October 2005 invited readers to learn nings out on the town. Ironically, with about ‘‘living better longer’’. There was an eye on an ever ‘‘health conscious no tobacco advertisement on the back consumer’’, the new product comes in cover that week, but the following week individually wrapped portions (hitherto it was business as usual with a Camel ad in large bales) and the promise that it depicting a young female model. US has not been touched by human hands. health advocates say this illustrates a The new product got an unmistakable recent trend: when a publication carries boost by being launched under the aegis a major health article heralded on the of the minister of finance, indicating a cover, the rest of the magazine tends not continuing focus on short term financial to contain tobacco advertising, but it gain, rather than long term health resumes in the next issue. In the past, it planning. was not unusual to find a striking Wedged at the end of the announcement of a health article on TIME still carries advertising for tobacco Mediterranean, Lebanon strives to find the front cover, and a full page cigarette products, although now not usually in the same its way between differing cultures and advertisement on the back of the same issues as those featuring articles focusing on continents.

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