Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Updated : June 26, 2014 11:20 AM IST
Clamping down on surrogate advertising, the Director of CBSE has written to all the principals of CBSE affiliated schools that all forms of competitions which are organised by tobacco firms or firms that have tobacco as one of their products are to banned. TheHealthSite.com is in possession of the letter which was sent out to all the heads and it clearly states that any such competition should be banned immediately.
Dr Sadhana Parashar wrote: 'It has come to the notice of the Board that some tobacco promoting firms are finding some innovative ways to be involved with the school children. It is therefore strongly advised that no school affiliated to CBSE is permitted to allow its students to participate in events sponsored by any firm or subsidiary of a firm which promotes the use of tobacco in any form. Schools/Students shouldn't accept any prize or scholarship instituted by a tobacco promoting firm. It's recommended that schools should not allow any institution using brand name, emblem, trademark, logo or trade insignia or any other distinct feature directly/indirectly connected with tobacco products to be associated with students.'
This is a good move considering the tobacco epidemic must be fought by discouraging potential users from ever taking up tobacco. A survey in the journal Pediatrics found that children are very aware about tobacco products and could even spot the logos of local and international tobacco brands.
The study was carried out in six nations Brazil, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia and China countries where the adult smoking rates are highest. The study found that nine in 10 Chinese kids aged between five and six years could identify tobacco company logos. On the other hand, Indian kids were the most eager to smoke with 30% boys and girls claiming they wanted to smoke when they grow up. More than two thirds of the children studied (68 per cent of the 2,423 participants) could identify at least one cigarette brand logo. (Read: War on Tobacco)
The findings raise concerns about whether low and middle income countries are complying with international bans on tobacco advertising to young children, the study authors said. 'What was amazing to me was how we saw kids who don't live with smokers but were very aware of cigarette brands,' lead author Dina Borzekowski of the University of Maryland told AFP.
'What that says to me is they are getting their messages through the community, in their environments. They are seeing it at retail establishments, they are seeing posters. When they go off to buy a piece of candy at a local store, they are seeing these logos.'
The study involved researchers playing a matching game with children with youths being asked to pair a logo with a picture of product like a car, cigarettes, food items or beverages. All the children were shown Marlboro and Camel logos, along with local brands that were distinct to their country.
'We would show them a logo and they would have to pick up a card with the product,' said Borzekowski. China had the dubious distinction of the highest recognition rates with 86% children being able to identify one cigarette brand logo. 'In China, on average, kids knew almost four out of eight of the brands,' Borzekowski said. 'These are little kids. The idea that they can recognize logos at this young an age is amazing.'
More than a quarter of all children studied could identify two to three cigarette brands, and 18 percent knew four or more. Children were also asked if they intended to smoke when they grew up. The highest yes rate was in India, where 30 percent both boys and girls said they planned to be smokers as adults. In China, Nigeria, Pakistan and Russia, boys were more likely than girls to say they would smoke as adults.
The study was done in selected urban rural areas in the host countries, and researchers said they endeavoured to make sure the children were 'typical' and not from wealthier communities where awareness of tobacco marketing might be higher. However, they noted that because the studies were not nationwide, they 'may not reflect the national populations in each country.' The World Health Organization has a Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that is signed by 168 countries and calls for limits on advertising and marketing to children. 'The problem is in low and middle income countries, I don't think there is good regulation,' said Borzekowski. 'So even though the laws are on the books, they may not be adhered to.'
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