Tobacco Firms Targeting Women, Youngsters

[webfact]

Tobacco firms targeting women, youngsters

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Tobacco manufacturers are now targeting women and children by creating innovative products like sweetened or lipstick cigarettes, a conference was told yesterday.

Some companies have even called on wellknown fashion designers to create new packaging, Srirach Lapyai of Rangsit University said yesterday.

"Some tobacco companies have even launched limitededition products to encourage consumers to start collecting the items," she said.

She was speaking at the 10th Annual National Conference on Health and Tobacco organised by Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Centre.

Srirach added that different flavours, such as green tea, are being added to cigarettes to match changing lifestyles, while some are selling their products online.

"In fact, some sellers arrange to meet their customer at a BTS station so they can personally deliver their products," she explained.

In addition, there are video clips available on websites like YouTube where customers are taught how to use products such as the hookah, while some companies produce games and smartphone applications to boost brand loyalty.

Most tobacco products with attractive packaging are imported from neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, and are available everywhere.

Wikul Wisansest of the Health Department said tobacco manufacturers had also developed products that are easier to smoke, including cigarettes that do not need to be lit or those that dissolve in the mouth. However, there are no regulations to control the sale of products like electronic cigarettes in Thailand.

According to the Public Health Ministry, the number of people who have died from smoking has increased from 41,183 in 2004 to 48,244 in 2009, and about 11 million teenagers have picked up the habit.

-- The Nation 2011-08-27

[Jayman]

mmmmhhh.... melt is your mouth cigarettes. Just what I have been waiting for. Thank you Big Tobacco.

[Ulysses G.]

Big tobacco has always targeted youth. What is new about that?

Edited August 27, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[Heng]

It's business, not personal.

We target emotionally susceptible couples (soon to be weds typically) who blindly want to pay a few thousands $ on flowers that will wilt into dust in a week or so for their weddings.

[scorecard]

Big tobacco has always targeted youth. What is new about that?

Hope the tobacco companies here never get as blatant as the Philippines or Indonesia where their agents continuously give handfuls of cigarettes to small children, young teen kids etc., and especially in the slum and poor areas.

Several years back I presented a two day seminar in Manila (about leadership, not about tobacco), about 50 attendees, everybody stood up to introduce themselves quickly, two young ladies said they were from Brit.... Am..... Tobacco.

One other attendee instantly stood up and said that she could not allow herself to sit with people who openly /every day handed thousands of cigarettes to children. Instantly most of the other participants stood up and said the same.

This produced instant claims by the two ladies from the tobacco company that their company was just trying to be kind to poor people and numerous more excuses which were nothing more than insulting to the intelligence of anybody, and which just made the other people more and more angry.

Eventually the two tobacco ladies withdrew, stating that their company would complain and demand a refund. Their employer never did complain or seek a refund.

Many of the remaining participants then publicly addressed the seminar organizer (famous seminar company)who was sitting at the back of the room, and said that they should screen the nominations. One lady (attendee) then said if she ever came to another seminar organized by the same seminar company then she ban her reporting staff from attending any more of their seminars. Instantly many other attendees indicated the same thing.

They did in fact from that day refuse nominations from tobacco companies.

Edited August 27, 2011 by scorecard

[DummDays]

I remember - 50 years ago - there was chocolat cigaretts to buy for us kids

so what is new in this "story"?

[kmj]

I remember - 50 years ago - there was chocolat cigaretts to buy for us kids

so what is new in this "story"?

Because not everyone is old enough to remember 50 years ago...

[scorecard]

Big tobacco has always targeted youth. What is new about that?

Hope the tobacco companies here never get as blatant as the Philippines or Indonesia where their agents continuously give handfuls of cigarettes to small children, young teen kids etc., and especially in the slum and poor areas.

Several years back I presented a two day seminar in Manila (about leadership, not about tobacco), about 50 attendees, everybody stood up to introduce themselves quickly, two young ladies said they were from Brit.... Am..... Tobacco.

One other attendee instantly stood up and said that she could not allow herself to sit with people who openly /every day handed thousands of cigarettes to children. Instantly most of the other participants stood up and said the same.

This produced instant claims by the two ladies from the tobacco company that their company was just trying to be kind to poor people and numerous more excuses which were nothing more than insulting to the intelligence of anybody, and which just made the other people more and more angry.

Eventually the two tobacco ladies withdrew.

[JackBangkok]

Big tobacco has always targeted youth. What is new about that?

Hope the tobacco companies here never get as blatant as the Philippines or Indonesia where their agents continuously give handfuls of cigarettes to small children, young teen kids etc., and especially in the slum and poor areas.

Several years back I presented a two day seminar in Manila (about leadership, not about tobacco), about 50 attendees, everybody stood up to introduce themselves quickly, two young ladies said they were from Brit.... Am..... Tobacco.

One other attendee instantly stood up and said that she could not allow herself to sit with people who openly /every day handed thousands of cigarettes to children. Instantly most of the other participants stood up and said the same.

This produced instant claims by the two ladies from the tobacco company that their company was just trying to be kind to poor people and numerous more excuses which were nothing more than insulting to the intelligence of anybody, and which just made the other people more and more angry.

Eventually the two tobacco ladies withdrew, stating that their company would complain and demand a refund. Their employer never did complain or seek a refund.

Many of the remaining participants then publicly addressed the seminar organizer (famous seminar company)who was sitting at the back of the room, and said that they should screen the nominations. One lady (attendee) then said if she ever came to another seminar organized by the same seminar company then she ban her reporting staff from attending any more of their seminars. Instantly many other attendees indicated the same thing.

They did in fact from that day refuse nominations from tobacco companies.

I remember years ago talking with an owner of small 7-11 type shop in Brooklyn, NYC. He told me that a tobacco distributor gave him a counter display filled with cigarette packs and told him to place it next to the cash register on the front counter. He told the guy he was crazy since kids would just steal them if they were placed out in the open like that. The distributor told him no problem and that the tobacco company would pay him full retail price for every pack that was stolen. The point being that the tobacco companies were happy to have kids steal them in order to get them smoking and build brand loyalty. I guess that is what you might expect from companies that need to replace millions of their most loyal customers each year.

[Atmos]

some classic old tobacco adverts on this website 40 Gorgeous Vintage Tobacco Advertisements

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[khaowong1]

Big tobacco has always targeted youth. What is new about that?

Exactly.

[chris2dv8]

They have been doing it for years and I do remember the chocolate cigs brown paper with a gold tip LOVELY

[webfact]

Public Health Ministry to revise tobacco laws

BANGKOK, 27 August 2011 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health will revise two tobacco control laws in order to fight a new effort by cigarette companies to appeal young smokers while the number of new smokers is increasing dramatically.

Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri confirmed that Thailand is speedily controlling tobacco consumption in line with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The minister however admitted that the two tobacco control laws including the 1992 Cigarette Act and the 1992 Non-Smokers' Health Protection Act, have been used for 19 years without revision and thereby cannot protect potential smokers from new persuasive tactics in the tobacco business.

Mr Wittaya said the ministry hence will amend the two laws and related announcements to be more up-to-date and compatible with global laws. The ministry will speed up tobacco law enforcement in Bangkok and the provinces as well as educate officials, entrepreneurs, and people particularly those in educational institutions, about anti-tobacco legislations.

The minister added that efforts will be made to open cigarette-quitting service at all health stations while alcohol and tobacco free communities will be developed nationwide in order to cut the number of new smokers, especially youth.

Based on a survey in 2009, 21% of Thais aged more than 15 years old or 12.5 million people were smokers. Second hand smokers could be found the most in fresh or flea markets at 54%, followed by at their homes at 39% and at workplaces at 27%.

-- NNT 2011-08-27

[samjaidee]

I remember - 50 years ago - there was chocolat cigaretts to buy for us kids

so what is new in this "story"?

Because not everyone is old enough to remember 50 years ago...

Well, I remember 40, 30, 20 years ago there were chocolate cigarettes.

Are you old enough to remember that?

[Ricardo]

Perhaps the Thai Tobacco Monopoly, which comes under the Ministry of Finance, and which contributed 51.7 Billion Baht to the Thai government in 2009 and manufactured some 27.9 Billion cigarettes, might help by withdrawing some of its 5 brands of unfiltered cigarettes, or by not launching & promoting new brands ?

[Mosha]

They have to target Asia, because American and Europe are wising up. 3 of the Marlboro Men had something in common, they all died from lung cancer.

[Richard4849]

Why is it worse to target women than it is to target men? I thought we were all equal these days...

[DP25]

According to the Public Health Ministry, the number of people who have died from smoking has increased from 41,183 in 2004 to 48,244 in 2009, and about 11 million teenagers have picked up the habit.

There aren't 11 million teenagers in Thailand. Age 15-19 there are about 5 million people, add in 13 and 14 and still not 11 million even if 100% smoked. Maybe they mean picked it up as teenagers

[anterian]

I'm a smoker of miniature cigars, one thing I hate in Asia is it is so difficult to get tobacco flavoured cigars, most shops stock American brands, vanilla, chocolate, menthol, strawberry flavoured cigars, disgusting things.

[jackr]

I remember - 50 years ago - there was chocolat cigaretts to buy for us kids

so what is new in this "story"?

What's new is that people are not as stupid as they were 50 years ago and yet tobacco firms are still pulling stuff like this.