The blog of Jackie Tumwine

BAT marketing dunhill cigarettes via text messages in South Africa

British American Tobacco South Africa has, in defiance of the country’s tobacco control law, resorted to marketing of cigarettes by phone text messages and MMS.

Ghana: Government Urged to Ban Tobacco Adverts

Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), an NGO, has called on the Ministry of Health and the Food and Drugs Board to, in line with the constitution of Ghana, design and implement a comprehensive policy to ensure a total “ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship” in the country.

South Africa:Report challenges tobacco industry’s advertising claims

CAPE TOWN — Forcing tobacco companies to scale back on advertising leads to a significant decline in smoking, new research shows. The finding is important as it challenges the tobacco industry’s assertion that advertising serves to make consumers aware of different brands and does not directly encourage them to smoke.

Sierra Leone: 'Ban All Tobacco Advertising Now'

World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments to protect the world's 1.8 billion young people by imposing a ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. On Saturday the world health agency joined local partners among them Youths Against Tobacco Smoking in Sierra Leone to process in observance of the World No Tobacco Day May 31.

Uganda-Tobacco control activists demonstrate against cigarette advertising

Tobacco control activists in Uganda, on 30th May, demonstrated against cigarette advertising and the government's reluctance to enforce laws against public smoking.

Mozambique bans public smoking and tobacco advertising

Mozambique ushered in the month of December 2007 with a new tobacco control law, reports Dr. Francisco Cabo over at his blog. The new decree bans smoking in indoor public places including educational institutions, restaurant and bars and all public means of transport. The new law also bans tobacco advertising in print and electronic media as well as on billboards, walls, subways and transport terminals.

Rwanda health ministry vows to ban tobacco advertising

The news that Rwanda's Health Ministry is lookng to ban tobacco advertising is welcome and timely.
Rwanda, being a Party to the Framework Convention on Tobaco Control (FCTC) is obligated under Article 13 to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship within five years after ratification. Such bans reduce tobacco consumption thereby saving lives.

Consensus on combating illicit trade and banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship

Consensus and progress are two words that best describe yesterday’s (4th July)Committee A sessions at this 2nd Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The issues up for discussion were; illicit trade; domestic and cross border advertising and sponsorship; and priority setting of the COP agenda.