General Director of Shenzhen NCD, Professor Yang Yingzhou, chairing the press launch (above).
Just before World No Tobacco Day (May 31st), we were proud to collaborate with Shenzhen’s department in charge of Non-Communicable Diseases (Shenzhen NCD) to launch an integrated mass media campaign in the Special Economic Zone in China. The campaign was designed to support the implementation of (and public compliance with) Shenzhen’s smoke-free laws, enacted as of March 1st, 2014.
The campaign centers around an ad called Secondhand Smoke: the Invisible Killer. Originally developed as a concept in the United Kingdom, Invisible Killer depicts how secondhand smoke affects smokers and non-smokers in a typical office environment. The ad aims to increase public awareness about SHS (secondhand smoke) and build support for Shenzhen’s smoke-free law.In the high-profile launch press conference (jointly held by the Shenzhen Health and Family Planning Commission, Shenzhen NCD and Shenzhen Media Group), advocates announced the campaign’s launch on five television stations, metro mobile television, outdoor and hospital indoor LED platforms.
Two-dimension codes for weibo and the voting mini-site
Social media activities will also be incorporated, including initiatives on weibo (a social media platform similar to Facebook), wechat, and a voting mini-site – allowing the public to register its support for Shenzhen’s smoke-free law.
The press event was attended by 15+ key media outlets, including four major television stations. Winnie Chen, Communications Manager of Vital Strategies delivered a speech on the occasion, introducing international best practices learned during our global work.
Officials also reported on results from a recent survey conducted in Shenzhen. According to the evaluation results, amongst 2049 households surveyed:
· 62.57% of respondents are now aware of the start date of Shenzhen’s new smoke-free law
· 74.82% are aware of the new smoking ban, soon to be enacted in public places, in work places, and on public transportation
· 60.9% are aware of the lowest individual violation fine possible (RMB50)
· 54.37% are aware of the highest individual violation fine possible (RMB500);
· 41.58% are now aware of the public complaint line, allowing citizens to report violations
Shenzhen NCD is confident that this well-designed integrated mass media campaign will help to increase general awareness about the harmful effects of SHS and alert the public about the complaint line.
We look forward to more positive results from this integrated mass media campaign … and to a smoke-free Shenzhen!