Note: World Lung Foundation united with The Union North America. From January 2016, the combined organization is known as “Vital Strategies.”
(Tabasco, Mexico) – The Ministry of Health of the State of Tabasco, Mexico, today launched a new graphic mass media campaign called “Quit Smoking, It’s Worth It”. The campaign graphically depicts that children and teenagers exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke suffer more respiratory illnesses, ear infections, asthma – even sudden infant death syndrome.
The campaign was developed by Tabasco’s State Ministry of Health, with support from World Lung Foundation. It is airing across the State on print media, radio and television channels and billboards at strategic locations such as health and medical centers, markets, bus stations and universities. The campaign will run for eight (8) weeks and will be supported with other promotional activities using the slogan “100% Smoke Free”.
Currently, tobacco consumption is responsible for more than five million deaths a year and tobacco related diseases kill one in ten adults globally. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 10.9 million Mexican adults currently smoke and more than two thirds of children and women are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke at home and in public places.
The campaign “Quit smoking, It's Worth It” aims to help prevent tobacco addiction and reduce the health risks associated with smoking, by raising awareness of the benefits of smoking cessation. Scientific evidence shows that graphic messages can motivate people to quit smoking and this campaign uses images to convey that smoke can be deadly, especially for children and young people.
In addition, it is designed to strengthen acceptance of and increase compliance with the new State Health Law regarding tobacco control, introduced by Tabasco’s government in 2010.
The State of Tabasco has been recognized as a national leader in tobacco control since the tobacco control amendments to the State Health Law were introduced. These reforms will help prevent tobacco addiction, protect nonsmokers and restrict the consumption of tobacco in public places.
In recognition of Tabasco’s progress, the State government received representatives from national and international tobacco control programs at the end of 2010 and at the beginning of 2011, including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) / World Health Organization (WHO) Mexico; the Bloomberg Philanthropies; the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease; World Lung Foundation; the National Office for Tobacco Control in Mexico and Tobacco Free Kids, among others.
The purpose of the visits was to understand progress in tobacco control in Tabasco and to promote opportunities for cooperation with the Bloomberg Initiative. Further to this visit, the State Ministry of Health agreed to collaborate with World Lung Foundation, a partner of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, to develop the “Quit Smoking, It's Worth It” campaign.
The TV advertisement for “Quit Smoking, It’s Worth It” has been adapted from an original ad provided by World Lung Foundation and includes images of the new graphic cigarette pack warnings introduced in the country in 2010. The advertisement has been rigorously tested in several countries and in Mexico it was proven to be among the most efficient in promoting smoking cessation.
Research has shown that mass media campaigns are one of the most effective means to prompt people to stop smoking. It is one of the World Health Organization’s M-P-O-W-E-R (W=Warn) strategies to reduce tobacco consumption. M-P-O-W-E-R strategies are endorsed and promoted by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, of which World Lung Foundation is a principal partner.