NGO launches campaign highlighting efforts by women to promote tobacco control

A non-profit organisation working closely with the Ministry of Health for mass media campaign on tobacco control Friday launched a global social media campaign, 'WomenAgainstTobacco', highlighting efforts by women to promote tobacco control.

The campaign by NGO Vital Strategies on the World No Tobacco Day will highlight women from different backgrounds and countries who have taken a stand against the tobacco industry and the roles they can play in the initiative.

These include a woman from Indonesia, who suffered second hand smoke-related throat cancer and now works to support smoke-free laws, and Brazil's Paula Johns, a long-standing tobacco control advocate who supported the adoption of strong health policies including smoke-free regulations, graphic pack warnings and the ban on flavoured tobacco products.

"This World No Tobacco Day, we applaud the governments and people who are taking action against the world's leading preventable killer tobacco use. Wecare particularly proud to highlight several women champions who are leading the charge against an epidemic that disproportionately affects their health," said Sandra Mullin, senior vice president of policy, advocacy and communication at the NGO.

"Globally, women account for only 16 per cent of adult smokers but 28 per cent of global tobacco-related deaths. We know that women's voices can be a powerful force in reducing this burden, both as champions for tobacco control and role models for the next generation of women and girls," Sandra added.

Vital Stratergies has been providing technical support to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for putting on AIR three mass media national campaign on tabbacco control.

These are--Clinical, which shows the dangers of secondhand smoke; Tobacco Tears You Apart, which features a patient who developed cancer related to chewing tobacco; and What Damage Will This Cigarette Do, which links smoking to stroke, cancer, lung disease and heart disease.

These three campaigns will be on air for a period of three weeks on various national TV and radio channels across India.