Note: World Lung Foundation united with The Union North America. From January 2016, the combined organization is known as “Vital Strategies.”
(November 05, 2015, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and New York, USA) – World Lung Foundation (WLF) today congratulated the Government of Bangladesh on the launch of a powerful mass media campaign that graphically highlights how smoking causes stroke among smokers. Scientific research indicates that smoking tobacco doubles the risk of stroke among smokers, while exposure to secondhand smoke also increases the risk of stroke among non-smokers.
The campaign – “Every Bidi/Cigarette Is Causing You Harm” – features a public service announcement (PSA) called “Brain”, which will be broadcast on national TV channels for a period of four (4) weeks over November and early December. The campaign was developed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), with technical and financial support from WLF. In addition, MoHFW and WLF are pleased to announce that an image from the campaign will be used as one of seven graphic health warnings to be implemented on tobacco packaging in Bangladesh from March 2016.
The 30-second PSA is designed to turn smokers’ thoughts about quitting into active quit attempts by showing the real health harms of tobacco use. The PSA shows a smoker inhaling cigarette smoke, then cuts to an image of a brain being placed on a surgical table.
A voiceover explains that every bidi/cigarette damages the smoker and that smoking creates blood clots which can cause strokes. As the gloved hands slices the brain, exposing brain tissue damaged by a blood clot, the voiceover notes that some strokes kill, blind or paralyze; others pass unnoticed. The damaged brain is revealed to be the result of a minor stroke in a smoker, aged just 38 years old. As the smoker exhales, the PSA ends with the message that “Tobacco Kills – Quit Today!” The PSA will run on ten national TV channels in Bangladesh, including the national broadcaster, BTV.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign, the Honorable Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mr. Mohammad Nasim stated: “The government of Bangladesh is committed to reducing the burden of tobacco, which harms the health and the wealth of our nation, as part of our obligations under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In launching this campaign – and graphic warnings on tobacco packaging – we are also meeting the express wishes of Bangladeshis.
“For example, an ITC Project Report found that more than 62 percent of Bangladeshi smokers want more information about the specific health risks of tobacco use on cigarette packages. The Brain PSA – and graphic warning image – shows that tobacco causes stroke and that it can kill Bangladeshis at an age when they are very likely to have significant family responsibilities. For the sake of their own health and the wellbeing of their families, we urge smokers to take heed of this campaign and quit smoking.”
The Tobacco Atlas notes that 44.4 percent of men, 1.8 percent of women, 2.9 percent of boys and 1.1 percent of girls in Bangladesh smoke tobacco; more than 164,000 children and more than 25,492,000 adults continue to use tobacco each day. Overall, tobacco is the cause of 14.6 percent of adult male deaths and 5.7 percent of adult female deaths – more than the average in other low-income countries. Tobacco-related disease – including stroke – kills 92,100 Bangladeshis every year. While the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Bangladesh (2009) found that 70 percent of Bangladeshi smokers had thought about quitting, the ITC Project Bangladesh Wave 1 Survey (2010) found that only one-third of smokers had tried to quit in the past and only 10 percent of smokers had plans to quit in the next six months.
Sandra Mullin, Senior Vice President, Policy and Communications, World Lung Foundation commented, “We congratulate the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the launch of this new campaign, which continues its efforts to reduce the burden of tobacco in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi smokers are aware that smoking causes harm and many think about quitting, but graphic campaigns like “Brain” – which shows that a 38-year old can die from stroke related to tobacco use – can help to create a sense of urgency among smokers who think tobacco-related death only occurs among much older people.
“In fact, our research in Bangladesh indicated that a previous WLF-supported anti-tobacco mass media campaign was recalled by 67 percent of the population and prompted more than seven (7) million tobacco users to make a quit attempt. We are delighted to have supported the design and implementation of this campaign and welcome the use of an image from “Brain” in Bangladesh’s implementation of large graphic health warnings on tobacco packs.
“Real synergies will be achieved and lives saved by using anti-tobacco mass media campaigns and graphic warnings on tobacco packaging – countering misinformation from the tobacco industry, raising awareness of the actual harms of tobacco across the population, deterring youth from initiating smoking and encouraging smokers to quit.”
The PSA and stills and transcripts from the PSA are available upon request.
Research has shown that mass media campaigns and large graphic pack warnings are among the most effective means to encourage people to stop using tobacco. Hard-hitting campaigns and images can compel tobacco users to quit, increase knowledge of the health risks of tobacco use, and promote behavior change in both smokers and non-smokers. They are featured in the World Health Organization’s M-P-O-W-E-R (W=Warn) strategies to reduce tobacco consumption. MPOWER strategies are endorsed and promoted by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, of which World Lung Foundation is a principal partner.