How do Cigarette companies target children in Pakistan?

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: A national survey conducted by TheNetwork for Consumer Protection on Thursday revealed that the multinational cigarette manufacturing companies are systematically targeting children as young as six-year-old by using aggressive marketing techniques including placement of advertisements on shops selling candies/chocolates and directly outside the gates of primary and secondary schools throughout Pakistan.

On the occasion of launching of report on Monitoring of Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, Sponsorships (TAPS) and Point of Sale Advertising here on Wednesday, the TheNetwork for Consumer Protection shared the key findings of the national survey conducted in schools around 6 major cities of Pakistan i.e. Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta where 500 points of sale (shops) of cigarettes were monitored. This is the first of its kind of survey conducted in Pakistan to expose marketing techniques used by tobacco companies to attract young generation towards tobacco use.

The senior officials of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), parliamentarians, representatives of NGOs and civil society endorsed the viewpoint of theNetwork to stop the multinational cigarette manufacturing giants from deceptive marketing practices and selling techniques which attracted small children towards tobacco products at retail shops near schools.

The report was acknowledged by coalition of tobacco-control advocates, education officials, child protective civil society organisations and others.

In an impressive presentation, Dr Maria from TheNetwork shared that the egregious marketing tactics of multinationals is a clear violation of the law. The astonishing results of the survey revealed that 83 percent shops having powerwalls/cigarettes behind the cash counter, 52 % shops having cigarettes inside glass counters, 50% shops place cigarettes with candies/snacks, 14% shops giving limited time offers or free gifts on purchase of cigarettes and 89% shops do not display no sale to minors signage, Dr Maria added.

During her presentation, Dr Maria analysed dozens of pictures of shops selling tobacco products to children, and gave expert opinion on the social and psychological aspects of such kinds of advertisements attraction children.

During the ceremony, small children shared their practical experiences about the selling of tobacco products alongwith sweets and candies etc. A small child Bakar Raza informed that he was attracted to cigarette at a shop as the tobacco products were prominently displayed on the shops.

Another five-year-old girl Alina Iqbal shared her experience of a shop where red and blue boxes of cigarettes were placed with chocolate packs and children were attracted to the red/blue boxes prominently displayed on the shops.

Two small children Muhammad Rabi and Iman Javed also objected, Why are shopkeepers displaying cigarette packs side by side of chocolate and candies?

A young girl Laiba Akhtar highlighted, I went to a shop and asked for a cigarette pack. The seller immediately handed over me a cigarette pack without asking my age or any question. Astonishingly, shopkeepers are also selling cigarettes to girls.

Two young children Mahir Ali and Ayyan displayed banners and chanted slogans against the multinational companies saying, Save us from these companies.

A teenager Mian Osama Nawaz questioned why the government wants to generate revenue at the cost of the health of young generation.

Nayyab Shakir, another teenager also shared her experience of open selling of tobacco products to youngsters without asking questions.

While supporting the efforts of TheNetwork, Senator Nasreen Jalil stated, There should be a ban on the tobacco advertisements keeping in view its serious implications on the youth of the country. There should be a strict enforcement of existing tobacco laws to regulate the said industry.

It is very unfortunate that the laws are present but they are never enforced or implemented. It is an uphill task to control tobacco use and take action against multinational cigarette manufacturers, but we have to do it at any cost, she said.

She also requested the courts of the country to ensure enforcement of the laws relating to the tobacco industry.

Senator Jalil added that the parliamentarians are ready to do necessary legislation to control tobacco use and its advertisements used to attract young generation.

Nasreen Jalil categorically said, Action should be taken against multinational cigarette manufacturing companies for advertisement campaigns to attract children towards tobacco products.

Supporting the efforts of TheNetwork, IR Rehman of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said that a movement should be started on national level against such acts of the tobacco manufacturers by including teachers, social workers and others in the movement.

CEO TheNetwork Nadeem Iqbal informed the audience that the quantum of business of two multinational companies is evident from the fact that 80 billion sticks of cigarettes were sold in one year by multinationals.

The ministry of health seems helpless before these multinational companies. We are ready to face legal framework against the industry, he said.

He said that the industry claims that the cigarettes are only being sold to persons above 18-year-old. Practically, it is absolutely wrong. Industry also claims that they give handsome amount of taxes and employment.

He referred to a survey carried out in the past which disclosed that not a single shopkeeper produced the relevant licence required for selling cigarettes at the shops. We have already filed a petition in the IHC for implementation of 85 percent GHW on the cigarette packs which is not implemented by the manufacturers, he said.

He requested the CCP to take action against the companies for committing deceptive marketing practices in the tobacco industry. He said that both the smokers as well as non-smokers are the victims of these companies.

About the level of compliance of laws, he said, We have written letters to the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Parliament to stop smoking within the premises of these government institutions. But there is no response of these letters.

Nadeem Iqbal said that the incidence of the excise duty on cigarettes should be 75 percent as compared to 58 percent FED applicable to different brands of cigarettes in Pakistan.

The report strongly recommended that saving Pakistans vulnerable children from a dangerous life of addiction, pain, misery, costly healthcare and death must become a top priority of the government, provincial governments, local administrations, federal parliamentarians, provincial legislators, political parties, educationists, child rights activists, civil society and media.

The following is a Charter of Action that must be adopted to safeguard Pakistans vulnerable schoolchildren from the malicious business and profit motives of these two companies:

Firstly, the federal government must amend the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Act, 2002, to comprehensively ban tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) as per Article 13 of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which the government of Pakistan ratified in 2005.

Secondly, a strict official mechanism must be developed to ensure enforcement of the 2002 law for completely banning sale of cigarettes around schools and holding companies, besides others, accountable for its gross violations.

Thirdly, the government must ensure that shopkeepers selling cigarettes to minors must be mandatorily booked and strictly penalised under the law.

Fourthly, local authorities must ensure that cigarettes are sold in packs of 20 and must not be sold in loose or in single sticks.

Fifthly, the Tobacco Vend Act 1958 that was legislated as part of then West Pakistan and was later adopted by provincial setups must be enforced by making licence mandatory for retail sale of manufactured tobacco.