Govt launches tobacco control Sponge campaign with WLF
Health and Family Welfare Ministry, in association with World Lung Foundation (WLF), has launched a new Rs 4 crore mass media campaign that visually depicts the amount of tar that collects inside an average smoker’s lungs.
The nationwide campaign, called Sponge, is being aired across 40 television and 28 radio channels until July 2009 in five languages – English, Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati and Bengali.
The campaign aims to inform millions of Indian smokers about the serious impact tobacco has on their health and to motivate them to quit before they become sick.
Sponge campaign, which was tested rigorously among focus groups in India, has already been utilized in tobacco control campaigns in number of regions of the world, with measurable impact. The ad has now been adapted for India’s diverse audience.
BK Prasad, joint secretary, Health & Family Welfare Ministry, said, “This campaign uses a scientific approach to developing and delivering a clear message about the personal dangers of smoking and builds on an earlier campaign that warned Indians about the harm passive smoking does to others.”
Jagdish Kaur, chief medical officer, National Tobacco Control Program, said. “Millions are misinformed about the health impact of tobacco use in India and ‘Sponge’ will help us correct this problem. The campaign clearly depicts the poison in tobacco and what it physically does to human lungs.”
Sandra Mullin, senior vice-president, communications, WLF, said, “People who smoke may know it is bad for their health but they often don’t know how bad. Blunt, graphic warnings explain the serious sickness tobacco causes much more vividly. We are honored to be in partnership with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare as we send this message across India.”
Research has shown that mass media campaigns are one of the most effective means to encourage 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.
© Copyright: Detnews
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