Cambodia - sub-degree passed to prohibit all forms of tobacco-related advertisement to be acvtivated in August 2011..

Ban Tobacco Advertising..

March 8, 2011 - The Royal Government of Cambodia has passed the Sub-degree to prohibit all forms of tobacco-related advertisement. The Prime Minister passed the 13- article sub-degree on the prohibition of tobacco advertising, which was officially passed on February 24, 2011, and will be activated in August this year.

Directly related news briefs:
February 15, 2011 - Cambodia - govt approved a draft sub-decree that prohibits the advertisement of tobacco products..

The banning sub-degree aims to eliminate all forms of tobacco advertising; Its also contributes to protecting people’s welfare, enhancing institutional capacities to control tobacco advertisements, banning all dazzling marketing related to customers’ tobacco consumption, reducing tobacco consumption, and mitigating the tobacco-related affects on heath, environment, and the economy.

The law states that any advertisement involving tobacco products in picture, written message, or sounds by means of mass media such as radio, TV, magazine, CDs, VCDs, DVDs, and through other telecom services are prohibited. Article six and seven of the law reiterates that even the marketing via banner, fliers, or even concert pavilions on public places must also be banned.

The posters bearing trademarks of the products are allowed only at the cigarette shops with permitted guidelines made by the Ministry of Health.

H.E. Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information on March 4, 2011 revealed that he used to be a chain smoker that smoked four packages of cigarette per day, but he finally relented and quit smoking. “Before I smoked four packages per day in a belief that smoking can effectively reduce stresses reflecting from works, but soon I realized that smoking is not a proper method to reduce harsh feelings at work, but it only causes trouble at work and health worsens,” he confirmed.

Previously, without sound law to control the tobacco industries, the tobacco industries engaged in business practices with the unethical manner of tricking consumers
by not revealing the real formula or ingredients of the product. “A General Manager of a tobacco industry was arrested in charged with unethical business practices meant to poison people’s perception about smoking.

He was imprisoned and was ordered to pay hundreds of million dollars in compensation to the victims who died or lived in great suffering. The tobacco products he manufactured have spoiled the life of thousands of people who smoke the cigarettes,” he raised as an example to alert the tobacco industries to run the business ethically.

H.E. Thach Phen, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Information, noted that 5.4 million of the world’s population die from tobacco-related diseases annually.

Cambodian people also waste 69.5 million riel (17,331.671 USD) annually on purchasing tobacco. With concerns about the disastrous loss, Cambodia has ratified a treaty with 168 other countries as the members of Convention on Tobacco Control since November 15, 2005.

“After successful application of the treaty’s membership, the ratified parties are obligated under article 13 of the convention to thoroughly prohibit all forms
of advertising, and marketing tobacco products to at least five years,” he said.

H.E. Ung Pyrun, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Health, mentioned that the benefit of sticking Khmer warning message on cigarette package also helps prevent the cigarette smuggling to the neighbor countries, and we also feel safe to worry about cigarette smuggling to Cambodia from the neighboring nations since they also stick the warning messages in their language.

He clarified the misunderstanding regarding parents who smoke outside the home, as they won’t affect family members.

“This is exactly the wrong assumption to believe that a father or mother that smokes outside the home may not affect the children. While they are smoking regardless to the appropriateness of the place, the smoke already sticks on their body such as hair or cloth, so everyone who stays close with them, mainly the children will be seriously affected by the poisonous substances contained in the smoke,” he noted.

Although the smoking rate in Cambodia has decreased, the amount of smokers is still hiking and this is because the Cambodian population rises. (SEAW)

Reference: GOVERNMENT TO BAN TOBACCO ADVERTISING, TheSouthEastAsiaWeekly.com, 3/7/2011.

Cambodia - some related News Briefs:
Cambodia - govt approved a draft sub-decree that prohibits the advertisement of tobacco products..;
Cambodia - tobacco control law to be implemented by 2015 deadline..:
Cambodia - govt gets serious about enforcing text warnings on cigarette packs..;
Cambodia - govt will soon ban tobacco advertising..;
Cambodia - proposed ban on all tobacco advertising and promotion..;
Cambodia - may miss deadline to ban tobacco advertising..;
Cambodia - agreement greater tobacco control measures needed..;
Cambodia - 2-day seminar, strategies for controlling tobacco use..;
SEATCA - Gates funding for research on improving tobacco control tax systems..;
Cambodia - text only cigarette warnings starting July 2010..;
Cambodia - now favors text only warnings on cigarette packs..;
Cambodia - graphic warnings soon to be on cigarette packs..;
Asean Countries - Tobacco Industry Blocking Global Treaty On Tobacco..;

- Cambodia is a member of Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA)..