Stop Free Cigarettes for Kids in Third World Countries - Please Sign Protest Petition Below.

10-08-2002, 09:42 PM

Friends:

I know you are all busy, and many of you are dedicated activists as well,
for various good causes close to your hearts. But please do pay 3 minutes
attention to read this particularly egregious exploitation and human rights
issue of the most helpless - children in Third World countries.

US tobacco companies are among the most ethically challenged and morally
deficient commercial entities on earth. In years past, they had also bought
the US Government. Read some of the reference cited below. Recently
because of dedicated, idealistic young activists, their grip has been
slightly loosened.

Years ago, these tobacco companies were also famous for using US Embassies
and the Commerce Department to employ crude strong arm tactics abroad on
unsophisticated Third World countries. These indigent countries were forced
to open up their markets to American cigarettes, with devastating effects on
the health of already poor denizens.

"In the city of Chennai (Madras), India, one company paid school children to
go to discos and hand out invitations to a party. Only children were
invited to this party where free liquor and cigarettes were distributed."
(5)
Please sign the petition below and send it on to your friends. Thank you
for your time.

Have a nice day now.

Nagendra

-----Original Message-----
From: Eye on Human Rights [mailto:humanrights@...]
Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2002 5:47 PM
To: Nagendra S. Rao
Subject: Free Cigarettes for Kids in Third World Countries

Hi Nagendra S.,

Thank you for signing up for "Eye on Human Rights" at
ThePetitionSite.com We're excited to provide you with
easy ways to take action on human right's issues plus
current news, critical information and interesting facts.

** TAKE ACTION: Third World Children Targeted As New Generation of Smokers
**

Tobacco companies cannot target kids in the U.S., so why should
they be able to target kids in third world countries?

Please join over 20,000 concerned citizens in signing this
petition to keep kids worldwide educated and safe from
misleading cigarette company tactics. Unless we let our
representatives know by November 4, smoking education might not
be properly funded!
Sign here: http://www.care2.com/go/z/3041/1004

Most children who start smoking believe that if they start,
they will be able to quit whenever they want, making them
perfect targets for an addictive product. Children overseas,
exposed to less commercialization than children in the U.S.,
are even more likely to believe that smoking won't harm them,
but instead make them "hip" like kids from the U.S. Tobacco
companies under greater scrutiny in the U.S. have increasingly
turned to children overseas to take advantage of this
receptive audience.

For example, when cigarette companies were able to move into
South Korea in 1987, the smoking rate among teenage boys was
18% in 1988 -- a year later, after U.S. cigarette imports were
allowed, it rose to 30%. Smoking rates for teenage girls
climbed during the same period from 2% to 9%. (1)

What Do Cigarette Companies Abroad Do To Attract Kids?
- Attractive, scantily clad women working for cigarette
companies give away free cigarettes and light them in the
mouths of teenage boys. (2)

- In China, Philip Morris has sponsored giveaways in which
empty cigarette cartons can be exchanged for Philip Morris
branded backpacks and hats. (3)

- In Hong Kong, Salem sponsors a "virtual reality dome" where
teenagers can come and fire laser guns at each other, and
distributes removable tattoos of the Salem logo. (4)

- In the city of Madras, India, one company paid school
children to go to discos and hand out invitations to a party.
Only children were invited to this party where free liquor
and cigarettes were distributed. (5)

Sign this petition before November 4 and counter efforts
to lure ignorant children into deathly habits; support smoking
education programs for children, and help stop misleading ads
by cigarette companies!
Sign this petition today: http://www.care2.com/go/z/3041/1004

Thank you for caring to make a difference!

Gwen Tyler
ThePetitionSite.com

REFERENCES:
(1) Ruth Roemer, Legislative Action to Combat the World Tobacco
Epidemic (Geneva: World Health Organization, 1993).

(2) International Tobacco Sales Volume 3, Number 17 June 1998
(revised October 2000).

(3) "Philip Morris Draws Fire with Chinese Promotion,"
Advertising Age, 5 January 1998.

(4) The New York Times , "Selling Cigarettes in Asia," 10
September 1997; Sens. Richard Durbin and Ron Wyden, "Big
Tobacco Must Stop Targeting Kids Worldwide," Roll Call , 23
March 1998.

(5) The Times of India, "RS Fumes Over Use of Children in
Cigarette Ad," 13 March 1997.

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