Media told to help smokers kick the habit

By Stevie Emilia

JAKARTA (JP): Leave the Pack Behind is the theme of this year's No Tobacco Day, which is marked every May 31.

But it is easier said than done when there are plenty of enticing cigarette ads, which are seemingly on every corner of the city as well as in print and electronic media.

Confronted by the images, smokers trying to kick the habit will close their eyes and imagine the taste of puffing away. They may even surrender and light up, ignoring smoking's harmful health consequences including asthma, heart disease, lung cancer and impotence.

WHO representative to Indonesia Robert Kim-Farley lashed out at cigarette ads for hampering antismoking campaigns. He called on all people, especially the media, to act responsibly.

"Don't accept tobacco advertising directed toward young people, designed to addict them at an early age. Don't accept tobacco advertising without proper health warnings. In fact, don't accept tobacco advertising.

"If we all will work together, perhaps we will create another 'reformasi' in Indonesia. A 'reformasi' of a society free from the scourge of tobacco and where our children are not attracted to smoke through television, radio, newspapers, magazines and billboards that surround them ..."

Cigarette companies find ads to be an effective way to keep their products fresh in the minds of consumers and would-be smokers, including youngsters. In contrast to the sometimes harsh health ramifications of smoking, most ads portray smokers as trendy, successful and attractive.

WHO estimates that about one third of the global adult population, or 1.1 billion people, are smokers, with about 200 million women among them. Global data indicate that nearly 47 percent of men and 12 percent of women smoke.

In developing countries, 48 percent of men and 7 percent of women smoke; in developed countries, the numbers are 42 percent of men and 24 percent of women.

Each year, tobacco causes 3.5 million deaths, or about 10,000 deaths per day worldwide. One million of these deaths currently occur in developing countries.

"By 2020, tobacco will become the leading cause of death and disability, killing more than 10 million people annually -- thus causing more deaths worldwide than HIV, tuberculosis, maternal mortality, motor vehicle accidents, suicide and homicide combined," WHO said.

Despite the frightening facts and predictions, local media continue to air cigarette ads, even though the practice contravenes a Ministry of Information decree from the 1990s which bans all forms of cigarette commercials on TV and radio.

And many newspapers, tabloids and magazines are doing the same, reaping profits from running cigarette ads.

SCTV news department and public relations director Riza Primadi said the station supported No Tobacco Day and has prepared several programs to inform the public about the danger of smoking.

But, he added, it would be difficult to simply turn down cigarette ads.

"We have to admit that the cigarette (industry) is one of our biggest advertisers. And during the present economic situation, we don't have the luxury of rejecting them (cigarette ads). It's a matter of life or death. We're being realistic. Every penny counts now," Riza told The Jakarta Post.

"But if the economic condition was much better, we might opt for a different policy (regarding cigarette ads)," Riza said.

Through their ads, tobacco companies have successfully shaped an image of being generous institutions which pour money into a vast array of public activities, from sports to entertainment and cultural programs.

PT BAT Indonesia Tbk. says that it believes in preserving freedom of choice. BAT produces and distributes pure tobacco cigarettes under brands including Lucky Strike and Pall Mall.

"We strongly believe that adults have the right to choose to smoke. Activities like drinking coffee or alcohol, adopting a high-fat food diet, indulging in high-risk sports and so on also have inherent risk," it said in a statement made available to the Post on Friday.

The company said people have the right to choose their own lifestyle once they know all the risks. It is the individual who determines his or her quality of life by making informed decisions, BAT Indonesia added.

It acknowledged the risks associated with smoking. "Hence we inform consumers of the possible risks. Every packet of cigarettes that we make carries a health warning."

It also stressed that people aged under 18 years old should not smoke.

The head of research and development for the Ministry of Health, Umar Fahmi Achmadi, said there should be the strong political will from the government to ensure the success of antismoking campaigns.

But as the cigarette industry provides huge tax revenue and absorbs millions of workers, the government is put a difficult position, particularly with rising concern about growing numbers of smokers, especially the young.

A 1998 survey conducted in 14 provinces found that 59.04 percent of males and 4.83 percent of females above 10 years of age smoked a minimum of one cigarette a day during a span of at least three months. It also estimated that each male smoked 10 cigarettes a day and each female smoked one.

The survey also disclosed that up to 27.7 percent of boys and 1 percent of girls were smokers.

"Antismoking campaigns here are far behind the aggressive and attractive cigarettes ads," Fahmi said.

He noted that Gudang Garam spent Rp 9.7 billion for a three- month-long ad campaign in 1995. The amount, he said, was far above the government's health funds.

He also said that hoping for the government's help alone would be of no assistance to smokers in finally stubbing out their last cigarette.

That, he added, took individual motivation and will.

"Don't forget, many smokers are successful in kicking the habit ..." he said to smokers pessimistic about quitting.