World No-Tobacco Campaign with Firefighters Kicks off Today

Washington, May 31, 2002 (PAHO) - A national public service campaign for World No-Tobacco Day was kicked off today, with firefighters from various cities serving as role models to convince smokers to quit and non-smokers to never start using tobacco.

The World No-Tobacco Day Coalition joined the Pan American Health Organization to observe World No-Tobacco Day at PAHO headquarters May 31st, with a focus on keeping sports free of all forms of tobacco.

"There are no better role models than firefighters," said Dr. David Prezant, Medical Officer of the City of New York Fire Department. "We know tobacco products left unattended cause fires that hurt or kill people," and "We are challenging all firefighters to quit tobacco use and serve as community resources and role models for tobacco cessation," he told Coalition members here.

The public service announcements feature firefighters from New York, Miami, San Francisco, Indianapolis and other cities talking about the importance of not exposing children to smoke and providing support to those who want to quit smoking. PAHO also prepared two other PSAs, one featuring a race car that undergoes a pit stop to change from tobacco ads to tobacco-free sports ads, and another with Dutch soccer star Johann Cruyff speaking about his heart attack due to smoking and the importance of quitting tobacco.

Tobacco activist Ross Hammond discussed the importance of a global ban on tobacco advertising and promotion to reduce the epidemic of deaths caused by smoking. He said most studies show a strong correlation between tobacco advertising and its consumption, noting that the tobacco industry spent $9.6 billion on advertising and promotion in the U.S. in the year 2000. He showed numerous examples of tobacco companies sponsoring or aligning themselves with sports events worldwide. "To be effective, only a total ban on advertising and promotion will work," he said.

PAHO Director Dr. George Alleyne said tobacco companies "have used marketing to turn to the dark side, in the jargon of Star Wars, to promote tobacco." He said "It is difficult to convince parents to make their homes smoke free, or employers to make their workplaces smoke free, when events that showcase athletic performance allow air polluted by cigarette smoke to be breathed by participants and spectators alike."

Dr. Alleyne presented PAHO's World No-Tobacco Day Award to the Office of Tobacco and Health of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "in recognition of its constant endeavor for tobacco control" and for its important role in making the World Cup and Winter Olympics in 2002 smoke-free.

A PAHO award also went to Brazilian Federal Representative Jutahy Magalhaes Junior, who sponsored a law that will prohibit tobacco promotion in sports events, media, and billboards in Brazil starting in 2003.

The Government of Quebec, Canada received another PAHO award for eliminating promotion of tobacco products and brand names through sponsorships. The Civil Association United by Sports Against Drugs of Mexico got an award for its promotion of sports to avoid the use of addictive substances including tobacco. The Peruvian Sport Institute received another PAHO award for its Smoke Free Peruvian Sport project, and Trinidad and Tobago's Ministry of Sport received an award for declaring its sports facilities tobacco free.

"There are many difficult choices that public health has to make. This choice is not a difficult one: We can sell cigarettes, or we can protect our children," said PAHO Director Dr. George Alleyne. "The cost of the first is unacceptably high, while the while the benefit of the second has no price.. PAHO urges sports events to refuse tobacco sponsorship and to make their venues smoke-free. We also urge governments to prohibit the use of sports - or any other event sponsorship - to promote tobacco products. There has never been a better opportunity than now."

The World No Tobacco Day campaign for 2002 aims to rid sports of tobacco advertising, promotion, and marketing, as well as exposure to second-hand smoke at sporting events. It also seeks to harness the dedication and drive that sports figures bring to athletic performance to promote tobacco-free sports. The campaign's international partners include the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), International Olympic Committee (IOC), Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the World No Tobacco Day Coalition, Olympic Aid, and national and local sports organizations.

World No Tobacco Day was created in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. The yearly observation serves to inform the public on the dangers of using tobacco and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.

PAHO, which also serves as the Regional Office of the Americas for the World Health Organization, has been working since 1902 with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and raise the living standards of their peoples.

For more information, please contact: Daniel Epstein, Office of Public Information, (202) 974-3459, e-mail: epsteind@paho.org.