ITS NOT JUST FILM

Tobacco’s Influence on Asian Youth

By: Simone Provence




[Image from SEATCA]


Since tobacco’s initial cultivation in North America during the early 1500s the drug has remained a largely popular psychoactive substance. Because of the drug’s continued popularity, tobacco encouraged global trade between North America and Europe; however, the health effects that tobacco causes also had a global impact. When Europeans introduced tobacco to Asia in the sixteenth century it did not gain instant popularity. The reason that tobacco did not become widely used in Asia until the twentieth century was because of the already widespread popularity of opium in the country, another psychoactive substance that was also being brought into Asia, largely China, by European traders. As opium addictions rapidly increased throughout Asia, the opium trade was halted which resulted in opium wars. Because opium became an illegal substance, tobacco slowly began to replace it as Asia’s addictive, psychoactive drug of choice. Today, millions of Asians continue to smoke cigarettes and chew tobacco despite their knowledge of the harm that tobacco does to their health. The number of young smokers continues to increase year after year in Asia as a result of tobacco company advertisements being directed towards potential underage smokers. Similarly, the ease with which tobacco companies can reach Asian youths also has a direct impact on the increase in young smokers. Tobacco companies are disobeying laws banning advertisements in certain parts of Asia, as well as sneaking in sponsorships of products, events, and services that directly affect young, easily influenced Asians.


Tobacco advertisements directed at potential young and underage smokers is a major issue being faced across Asia. During the 1995 school year in Hong Kong, a tobacco industry sponsored school guidance booklets and pamphlets, giving advice to Asian youth on how to handle situations such as peer pressure and being popular[1]. In March of 2008 a group of concerned mothers in the Philippines removed “an outdoor tobacco advertisement billboard from a store near two schools in Manila, and replaced it with a antismoking sign, ‘Care for Kids,’ part of the ‘No See Yosi’ campaign to discourage the youth from smoking”[2]. There are countries like Malaysia where 30,000 children have picked up the habit of smoking in the past two years, numbers that are devastating the health of individuals as well as the entire country as a result of second hand smoke[3]. Tobacco producers know how to sell their products and by placing cigarette advertisements near a heavily populated public school companies will gain at least a few new smokers, some who will continue to do so for life. Luckily, in the Philippines, the “selling of cigarettes is prohibited within 100 meters from the perimeter of schools, public playgrounds, or other places frequented by minors;” those who do sell tobacco products around those areas face a hefty fine or jail time which has led to a decrease in illegal sales[4].




[Image from The CHEST Foundation]


Similarly, because teenage girls are included in the group of young, and often underage, smokers, many tobacco advertisements in Asia are geared towards female’s self-esteem to encourage them to smoke for a variety of reasons. In a mall in the Philippines during 1992 there was an advertisement of a beautiful, young Asian woman wearing a Marlboro jacket and hat surrounded by giant Marlboro signs and posters that caught the eyes of every shopper in the mall[5]. Similar events using highly attractive, young Asian women in Cambodia during 2001 and Vietnam in 1996 for cigarette ads lead young girls to believe that smoking makes them more attractive, and therefore they pick up the deadly, addicting habit[6]. Tobacco, specifically cigarettes, has been used as an appetite suppressant for years now, and young women world-wide still think that smoking will help prevent them from gaining weight. Movie advertisements in Asia reflect beautiful young women smoking cigarettes, which in turn leads to an increase in smoking among female teenagers who desire the beauty of the actress they see holding the cigarette.


In Asia during the 1990’s the ease with which cigarettes could be purchased by a consumer of any age increased with the installation of cigarette vending machines on the streets. An image presented by The CHEST Foundation during a presentation regarding the problem of smoking in Asia displays a child of roughly seven years of age purchasing a pack of cigarettes from a corner vending machine in Japan. The availability of cigarettes to such a young generation often helps create life-long smokers who, in Asia, have been known to start smoking as early as age five in some extreme cases[7]. In 1997 Salem, a cigarette company, sponsored a video game and produced multiple advertisements directly aimed at young children in Asia, mainly in Hong Kong[8]. Despite the ban on public advertisements for tobacco companies throughout Asia, chewing tobacco companies have recently placed advertisements on toys such as kites which are very popular with Asian children[9].




[Image from The CHEST Foundation]


Similar to the toy and video game advertisements, and aside from movie ads and rock stars that imply to young children and teens that smoking is cool, other children are also partly responsible for the increase in popularity of cigarette smoking. Lower class youth view fellow friends and classmates from higher income families as role models and look up to them. Those higher class youth are the ones who can afford to, and often do, smoke, which makes smoking look cool and desirable[10]. After the laws large success rate in France, the Chinese government instated a new law in 2007 that fines smokers of all ages who light up in public places, which no longer leaves them looking as cool[11]. By the end of 2006 there were more than 350 million smokers in China, numbers that continue to rise - numbers that are largely made up of children[12]. China’s new law was intended to focus not only on the effect that smoking has on health, but the numerous problems that it causes for the Asian youth. To help continue to warn Asian youth against the dangers of smoking, a new addition to all cigarette packages, beginning on the 24th of March 2008, in Vietnam will be an enlarged warning label that is now required to take up at least 30 percent of the entire cigarette packaging. One of the major warnings the Vietnam government want to be placed on the cigarette packages is “smoking harms fetuses and children,” which may also include a graphic warning (Noi). Smoking in Vietnam has grown to be so popular that 50 percent of all males in the country smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco (Noi).


Major family events across Asia are now much more cautious of their tobacco advertisements and sponsorships. Similar to the advertisement of the dangers caused by smoking in Vietnam, Singapore has banned cigarette ads in general from an event very popular with the Asian youth. With regards to “Singapore's strict laws banning tobacco advertisements [they] will apply to the city-state's inaugural Formula One Grand Prix in September” of 2008, an event watched by children, teens, and adults alike (Yehey Sports). Following those same rules, racers and their cars are not allowed to show any type of advertisement of a tobacco company or product during the entire event or they will be prohibited from racing. Singapore has some of the world’s toughest anti-smoking measures, and has gone so far as to ban smoking from any and all air conditioned establishments (Yehey Sports). This keeps second hand smoke away from children in the home and at public eateries, as well as away from older children and teenagers in places like karaoke bars and night clubs. These increased smoking regulations in Singapore are very important, as in the first two months of 2008 the number of underage smokers doubled to numbers higher than Singapore has seen in the past two years (Yehey Sports).





[*Image from Ferrari Wallpapers]


Tobacco companies are also sneaking in sponsorships in areas of society that are highly important to easily influenced Asian youth. Unfortunately, in Indonesia as of 2007, 80 percent of the population that smokes is under the age of 19 (Xinhua). Indonesia has virtually no bans or laws regarding cigarette or tobacco advertisements, to an extent that the population of smokers in the country is almost made up completely of underage users. High school students in Indonesia, and more recently Vietnam, are now being awarded scholarships from tobacco companies, which lead to heavily influencing young student’s future decisions regarding smoking (SEATCA). Huge cultural events in Indonesia are known for the distribution of free cigarettes to citizens of all ages attending events such as Women’s Day and the celebration of Nationhood in Indonesia (SEATCA).


Underage and youth smoking has become one of the most dominant problems faced by Asia. The health risks are high, and the issue of legality is also a large problem being faced by Asian governments. It is the responsibility of the government to continue making changes and laws that prohibit smoking in public places, underage smoking, sales to underage youth, advertisements, etc. It is also largely the responsibility of role models, movie stars, musicians, teachers, and even parents to realize that they are contributing to the health problems and addictions of their future generations. New underage smokers across Asia continue to pick up the life-threatening habit of tobacco use every day, a deadly habit that needs to be broken.

[1] The CHEST Foundation. "Brief History of Tobacco Advertising to Women in Asia." http://speakerskit.chestnet.org/ppt/wta/history.ppt (Accessed 16 March 2008).

[2] Allison Lopez. "Moms replace tobacco ad with antismoking sign." 5 March 2008. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080305- 123030/Moms-replace-tobacco-ad-with-antismoking-sign (Accessed 21 March 2008).

[3] Annie Freeda Cruez. "Ban kiddie packs now." 13 November 2006. http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Monday/National/20061113080059/Article/local1_html (Accessed 21 March 2008).

[4] Davao Sun Star. "559 smokers arrested." 26 May 2006. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2006/05/26/news/559.smokers.arrested.html (Accessed 21 March 2008).

[5] The CHEST Foundation

[6] The CHEST Foundation

[7] Xinhua. "Indonesia has more young smokers." 4 March 2008. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/6365709.html (Accessed 21 March 2008).

[8] The CHEST Foundation

[9] Aditi Tandon. "Tobacco firms targeting kids." 28 Oct 2006. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061029/main5.htm (Accessed 21 March 2008).

[10] Jiang Yuxia. "Smoking ban needed." 5 February 2007. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-02/05/content_5697373.htm (Accessed 20 March 2008).

[11] Jiang Yuxia

[12] China Daily. "Campaign aims to smoke out young addicts." 30 May 2006. http://english.people.com.cn/200605/30/eng20060530_269625.html (Accessed 21 March 2008).

* Image: "Ferrari Wallpapers High Resolution Pictures." http://ferrariwallpaper.blogspot.com/2007/11/ferrari.html (Accessed 4 April 2008).


Paper By: Simone Provence [HangTheDJ99@Hotmail.com]
Last Updated: 5 April, 2008

April 18, 2005 - July 11, 2006

the time i spent with david was amazing. but its over.

I dont think david was amused there, but he said he had a good time with me. he took 2 chairs from the crazy horse for my apartment because i didnt have a desk chair, the other is more of a bar stool. i cleaned them alot. i had fun; along with breaking my arm. i can type pretty fast with one hand. work should be interesting tomorrow. pictures possibly later.

Photo II - 98

Chemistry - 88

Business - 98

Student Volunteer - 98

AP Stat. - 87

English III - 91

AP US - 88

Media Arts - 96

I have recently discovered my love for World Market stores. Work is getting kind of weird now, like im not supposed to be working there. I dont know. Joey works there now with me on the weekends. He also pretty much lives with Trenton in my living room who is also trying to work there; Ben please say no. I moved into the apartment and Drake calls it the Swanky Pad, actually everyone does. Im leaving for Myrtle Beach around 2, David is comming up for 2 nights thursday afternoon - saturday afternoon. i work at 7 on fathers day for brunch. i had to get my dad a fathers day card, thats hard business when they all tell you that youre a good dad. im really trying to grow out my hair. i had never had red toenails until two days ago because i was feeling crazy, and that is something red toenails definately are. prom was ok. david and i both looked schnazzy. i would really like to know my SAT scores.

i wore a shirt today that was teal, im proud of myself. JJ and Beth are getting married this weekend. i can wear my new dress. hooray. report cards are soon. so are pay checks. this means money. i got a buddha necklace on ebay last night, its from china so it will take an uncanny amount of time to arrive. i have taken to sean paul. and my life.

the show last night was good. marigold and the twilight zone i hadnt even heard of before and i enjoyed myself very much. i think gary almost lives with us now and that excites me. david wears his new shoes alot and that makes me smile. i would like to go shoping for some reason rather badly. my camera needs a new battery and i have a new assignment for class, double exposures. whats up 100?

So i got a new board:



I dont update here much anymore. im not online as often. it would be nice if more people used MSN messanger than AOL because thats all i can use now.



i havent been taking many pictures lately, not as much as i usually do anyways. i took some of lacey and mason, but they didnt come out too exciting. a kid named Nick [a new kid at our school] talked to me
today when i was with cait by mrs. browns room discussing business. Hes shorter than me and that makes me feel good. i think sometimes David thinks i dont like him anymore, some times i think hes right, but im wrong most of the time anyways because im pretty sure thats not the case at all. i want to go to the beach. i think anyone from Summerville who reads my journal or knows me should do something with me, im trying to be more social and do more than just go places with david. i enjoy my life very much, but theres always some room for change. im getting my hair cut and the color fixed at the to pon tuesday the 7th at 4pm with a gift certificate! ive needed that since august. i got two new pairs of shoes, navy and green checkerboard slip-ons. i got david a pair of brownand tan checkered ones, but he didnt know and he gave me a mean face but its ok. Sometimes i wonder about alot of things. my grandma sent me an email about shyness and how its established and how to treat it, i dont think it will work for me. they were going to put me on medication, buuut oh well. My cow photo won first place and 100$ in an art competition and its also in a Magazine called teen ink. its a stupid magazine but who cares my picture is still in it and i think thats neat. i dont like guys who like skanky chicks, or whose interests revolve around sex. i dont think i understand that. not many people have said to me they like davids mustache shaved off, i like it alot more but i dont think he does. Prom is on my birthday this year so i maybe will go, i havent really decided for sure yet actually. i play solitaire alot lately, and im doing really good in chemistry. im probably going to sping break to florida with my mom, but by myself. i work at eclectic chef now and i made brownies on my first day, tomoro is my second week of work. i enjoy my job very much. i noticed that i constantly wear checkered socks with my checkered shoes. i think its fly.

i havent updated in a long time even though i have my own computer, but i said i wouldnt get online too much. that was bullshit but oh well, i try. i want to go to an island and stay in an overwater bungalow. i went to the zoo and the market, those pictures above are obviously ones i took at the market. i got an ipod nano so now im saving up money to buy a new SLR digital camera. i wish i had alot of board shorts because i miss the beach and i want to wear some right now. i dont have much to say. i updated my myspace and davids and took pictures with/of him today then we had spaghetti and he shaved off his mustache. i think it looks really nice, but i dont think he does. and i gave him an earing and it looksl ike he has a gauged ear. whatever. im done. fun will be had soon.

what does quixotic mean?

me and david leave for florida at 6am tomorrow morning!

YOU KNOW YOU WENT TO SUMMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL IF:
-you had french fries for lunch practically every day
-if you knew you were going to fail 12th grade English (Profit, Carter, Kaple)
-if 95% of your class had on Dixie attire, including the black people
-if Mr. Putman's nosy behind turned you away in the hall because you had no pass
-if you wondered why the slow kids didn't have a dress code
-if you knew some of the teachers were sleeping with students
-if you thought Dr. Pugh was the best thing to happen to Summerville because, shit, we never saw Mr. Lovelace
-if you new it was impossible to make it from the front hallway to the back hallway before the tardy bell
-if you always wondered what in the hell went on out there in the freak courtyard
-if you know we might as well rename the town of Summerville, to the TOWN OF JOHN McKissick
-if by time we said the pledge of allegiance, sat down, and got the T.V. on, WAVE TV was going off.
-if you were wondering why in the hell were the end of the day announcements on and we still had an hour left of school
-if you failed chemistry and decided to take chem. tech and still got Mr. Putman or Mr. Roberts. And the class was still hard as hell
-If that dark, deep voice came over the intercom in your room every period, and you knew Mr. Polk was about to ask can he see someone out of your class
-if you were wondering did the valedictorian have any hobbies
-if all the blacks bands embarrassed us at Sertoma by playing up to date music, and we were playing J.S Bach (or we're not # 5)
-if you were too cheap to by a decal so you parked by the district office
-if you wouldn't dare run from Coach McCurry while trying to skip school, but you would definitely try Wade on his golf cart
-If you didn't even know who your principal was because we had so many
-if you know the school nurse asked boys and girls if they were pregnant and want a mint
-if graduation was too damn long because we had like 800 people
-if you were a smoker, you knew to go to the bathroom by the mini gym
-if you knew we had more custodians than teachers
-if the girl that sat on the front row was on her 2nd mercedes benz
-if you knew we were practically the best at every damn sport
-if you enjoyed evacuating the building during bomb threats
-if you knew we were challenged more than other high schools in South Carolina
-if you were constantly asked what in the hell is a GREENWAVE
-if you wonder how that football player out of your class even graduated
-if you wondered exactly what it was that the grappalettes did
-if your always told you speak so proper
-if you were willing to risk a tardy for your Otis Spunkmeyer cookies
-if someone out of your class wore flip-flops the whole damn year (all through the month of December)

i forgot i had a lab today so i wore davids shoes and he wore mine. my lab got cancelled. oh well.

I WENT TO HILTON HEAD THIS WEEKEND. I HAVE LIKE 400 PICTURES AND ONCE DAVIDS GOT THEM ONLINE I MAY SHARE SOME. THE BEACH WAS NICE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS COLD. I LOOOOOVE LOOSE LUCYS, SOMEONE SHOULD JUST GET ME THE WHOLE STORE. THAT WOULD BE NICE. MY JEANS CAME AND THEY GAVE DAVID A REFUND, IT WAS CRAXZY! IM GOING TO THE FAIR TUESDAY AND TRICK-OR-TREATING TOMORO WITH DAVID AS BATMAN AND ROBIN THEN WE HAVE THE FIELD TRIP WEDNESDAY. EVERYONE WHOS GOING ON THAT FIELD TRIP HAS TO WEAR A BLACK SHIRT/SHOES AND JEANS. CROIX GOT MY SHIRTS IN AS WELL SO I WILL GET THOSE SOON PROBABLY. HOORAY. I WANT TO VOLUNTEER ALOT AT THE SPCA CAUSE I LIKE PUPPIES AND I MISS SQUINO CAUSE I CANT SEE HIM TILL TOMORO. MASON CAN TALK ALOT MORE NOW. I SHOWED HER A PICTURE OF DAVID AND SHE SAYS HIS NAME AND THAT MADE ME HAPPY. EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY IS ALL YOU CAN DAVID MAY LAST THIS YEAR BUT COLLEGE WONT WORK OUT AND THIS AND THAT MAY GO WRONG AND DONT FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO BE WITH HIM AND IT MAY END EXPLOSIVELY, AND IM CONTENT AS I AM RIGHT NOW. OH WELL. WERE GOING TO FLORIDA. IF YOU KNOW MY MOM, DONT TELL HER. I HAVE AN APUSH ESSAY TEST AND A APSTAT TEST TOMORROW.

im pretty sure ive never been this happy.

I LIKE TO THINK I MAY GET MY HAIR CUT LIKE THAT. I ALSO LIKE THE OUTFIT, BUT ID NEVER WEAR IT BECAUSE ITS NOT BLACK AND WHITE. DAVID PUT ME TO SLEEP AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT, IT MADE ME VERY HAPPY AGAIN. WE SAW THE FOG, I WAS EXPECTING IT TO BE REALLY BAD BUT I ACTUALLY LIKED IT PRETTY WELL. TIFF HAS MY CAMERA, SHES GOING TO PUT ALOT OF PICTURES IVE TAKEN ONLINE SOON, OF DRAKE AND MASONS BDAY, OF THE GARDEN NEXT DOOR (SOME OF WHICH CAME OUT TOTALLY COOL) AND SOME OF THE PUMKINS AND SCARECROWS IN TOWN SQUARE. I WENT SHOPPING YESTERDAY, I GOT A BLUE SKIRT AND A BLUE SHIRT AND A BLUE HOODIE, OTHER THAN THAT, EVERYTHING IS WHITE, BLACK, OR GRAY, AND I LIKE IT THAT WAY. WAIT WAIT, ONE PAIR OF GREEN SHOES.

OH SHIT.

FRIDAY:
ME AND DAVID WENT TO THE HOMECOMMING FOOTBALL GAME, ANOTHER BLACK GIRL WON, CAIT LOOKED REALLY PRETTY THOUGH. OH WELL.
SATURDAY: ME AND DAVID WENT TO THE YARD SALE AT 630AM AND CHRIS WAS DRUNK AT NIGHT WHEN I WENT TO PICK HIM AND TIFF UP FROM THE AUCTION SO DAVID STAYED OVER TILL 130AM. AND HE PUT ME TO SLEEP AND IT WAS THE BEST THING EVER AND IT MADE ME REALLLLLLLY HAPPY. I MADE ABOUT 145$ AND MANNY IS GOING TO BUY BY 64 AND THE REST OF MY GAMES FOR 35$. YAY. I MADE LACEY A SHIRT AND IM DONE WITH CROIXS AND ILL PROBABLY MAIL IT SOON. IT LOOKS PRETTY COOL, BUT I GANGSTAFIED IT FROM HER VERSION: I KNOW DEY SMALL. ITS COOL. LACEY IS GOING TO PUT A PICTURE OF HER IN HERS ON HER MYSPACE PAGE.
SUNDAY: I READ ALL DAY FOR APSUH AND GOT GROCERIES... RIGHT NOW I SHOULD BE STUDYING FOR CHEMISTRY. OH WELL. ILL DO GOOD IN APUSH.

15. Guys hate asking parents for money to buy girls presents. So they come up with ideas like saving their lunch money for a week. But it never works because guys are always hungry so they end up asking the parents for money anyway.

25. Guys think WAY too much. One small thing a girl does, even if she doesn't notice it can make the guy think about it for hours, trying to figure out what it meant.

37. Guys don't really have final decisions.

49. A guy would give his left nut to be able to read a girl's mind for a day.

I READ THESE IN ONE OF THOSE STUPID LOVE CHAIN LETTERS ON A MYSPACE POST, BUT THESE IS PARTICULAR MADE ME LAUGH. I HAVE 20$ I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT WITH. IM GOING TO FIND THE COOLEST SWEATER IN THE WORLD FOR UNDER 20$ I BELIEVE. OR MAYBE SOME MORE WALMART HOODIES, I DONT KNOW YET. I KINDOF FEEL LIKE A GIRL SO MAYBE A NICE SWEATER... HMM... I HAVE ALL A'S AND B'S ON MY REPORT CARD. MY GRANDMA MAY SEND ME MONEY. IM EXCITED.