RIYADH, 31 May 2003 — Smoking is rapidly gaining popularity among the Kingdom’s youth despite efforts to curb the trend. Tobacco advertising may be banned in the local media, but with the advent of the Internet and satellite television, pro-tobacco messages continue to seep in at an alarming rate. Film in particular is an effective vehicle for pro-tobacco advertising. Consequently, “tobacco-free film and fashion” is the theme for the 2003 World No Tobacco Day, which will focus on the glamorization of tobacco in the film and fashion industries.
The Kingdom will observe the day today with various educational events, including the launch of a campaign by the Ministry of Health to increase awareness about the dangers of smoking.
Dr. Abdullah Ben Mohamed Al-Bedah, chairman of the Saudi Tobacco Control Charitable Society, told Arab News that the growing smoking problem in the Kingdom required urgent attention.
“Smoking is a very serious problem here in Saudi Arabia,” said Dr. Al-Bedah. “Forty to 50 percent of men and 10-15 percent of women are smokers.”
Dr. Mansour Al-Nozha, president of the Saudi Heart Association, told Arab News that smoking was also a growing problem in secondary and intermediate schools.
According to Dr. Al-Nozha, smoking is becoming increasingly popular among the younger generation of Saudis. “A study conducted 6 years ago at King Saud University showed that about 40 percent of the students at the college were smokers,” he said.
Tobacco advertising in the media is a key factor in youth smoking, said Dr. Al-Bedah.
“Consumers need to be protected from both direct and indirect exposure to pro-tobacco messages,” he said. “Our objective should be to help the consumer to be critical of television and indirect messages from the tobacco industry.”
According to Dr. Al-Bedah, Saudi Arabia has over the past decade made efforts to ban all tobacco advertising in the local media. He added that since last year, the ban had been expanded to include imported media, with the exception of satellite channels, which continue to be a source of pro-tobacco messages.
On May 21, the 192 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) unanimously adopted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which lays down global rules for the marketing, advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products.
The FCTC is the world’s first international treaty for public health and represents a historic opportunity to curtail tobacco advertising, said Dr. Al-Bedah.
Research shows that between 1988 and 1997, 85 percent of the top 25 Hollywood films dramatized tobacco use, and eight out of the ten highest-earning Hollywood films in 1999-2000, rated for viewers 13 years of age and above, featured smoking.
Tobacco advertising in the movies is not, however, limited to Hollywood. According to a WHO survey, three out of four films produced over the past decade by the Indian film industry, better known as Bollywood, show their stars smoking.
In addition to film, the fashion industry also works closely with Big Tobacco to promote a “fashionable” image of smoking. Tobacco companies often sponsor fashion events that in turn help promote cigarettes as fashion accessories. Some advertising campaigns attempt to link cigarettes to appealing images. For instance, women-niche brands such as Virginia Slims attempt to associate smoking with a slim figure and female empowerment.
However, the reality of smoking is not as appealing as the image created by tobacco companies. The tobacco epidemic kills some five million people each year, and cigarettes claim the lives of 1 in 2 regular consumers. Smoking is also linked to early aging, increased incidence of lung cancer and heart disease, and premature death.
The results of increased smoking in the Kingdom have only become apparent in the last 20 years, said Dr. Al-Bedah. “Lung cancer is now the fourth most common form of cancer in the Kingdom,” he said.
According to Dr. Al-Nozha, nicotine also narrows blood vessels and puts added strain on the heart. “The risk of coronary heart disease increases with the number of cigarettes smoked,” he said, adding that the nicotine contained in tobacco smoke has a detrimental effect on not only on the heart but also on the brain and other parts of the body.
Dr. Al-Bedah told Arab News that 20 billion cigarettes are imported annually by the Kingdom, amounting to about SR1 billion per year. He added that the low price of cigarettes and a lack of strict tobacco sales regulations also contribute to the problem of teen smoking.
“It’s all about smoking the most popular brand of cigarettes,” said A.G. Khan, a local store employee who works at a stall selling tobacco products. According to Khan, the number of younger customers has been gradually increasing.
Mushtaq, who owns a small convenience store, said that most of the people who buy cigarettes at his store are between the ages of 18-40 but added that there were a large number of young customers buying cigarettes. “The majority of our customers who come to buy cigarettes are in the younger age range,” said Mushtaq. “Sometimes we even have 10- or 12-year olds coming into the shop and asking for a packet of cigarettes.”
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Education approved a decision to ban cigarette sales to those under 18 in shops located near schools. However, according to Dr. Al-Bedah, there are no regulations preventing shop owners in other areas from selling tobacco products to children and teens.
“We would like to have a comprehensive tobacco control law,” said Dr. Al-Bedah. Such a law, he said, would include a prohibition of cigarette sales to children under 18 years of age as well as strict fines for law-breakers. He added that both parents and government officials need to take an active role in preventing the spread of smoking among the nation’s youth. “There’s still a lot that needs to be done,” he said.
