Cigarettes hate you!
All the Medical Conference attendees I spoke to in the last week had something to say about the seemingly underlying theme of the conference: smoking. There seemed to be some who were highly devoted to the cause of fighting smoking in Armenia, but it's a very steep uphill battle.
The problem addressed at the conference starts with the doctors themselves, even smoking in the hospitals. I think I saw this for myself quite a few times. The days of saying "they have bigger fish to fry" are over. Pretty soon, this will be the only fish.
Despite a few laws that were passed to require non-smoking sections in restaurants, it seems there is very little interest in implementing that law given just as high (if not higher) a percentage of the government smokes themselves.
As everyone knows, smoking in the US has declined drastically in the last few years. However, most in the US probably haven't questioned why the cigarette companies are giving in so easily, but it's a problem that the rest of the world is started to realize very quickly. The future of business for these companies (Philip Morris particularly) is in developing countries where laws and restrictions are practically non existent.
Take me for example. I lived in the US all my life and started to grow fond of the ban on smoking indoors. I move here, make a simple face at people for blowing smoke in my food at a restaurant and I'm told to get over it. Some started to convince me that anti-smoking campaigns are American propaganda to steel their cigarettes. Try to make sense of that.
It's well known that this is the new direction of cigarette companies, as addressed in this quote from www.tobaccofreekids.org.
"As tobacco use declines in the United States, the tobacco industry has aimed its deadly products and deceptive marketing at the rest of the world. The result: Five million people will die worldwide this year because of tobacco. Unless urgent action is taken, tobacco will kill 10 million people a year by 2020, 70 percent of them in developing countries."
Take this for a prime example of the lengths they will go. A few weeks ago, many of my friends attended what was said to be the biggest party of the year in Armenia. Supposedly, well over $200,000 was spent on music, sound, lighting, the location, everything. I asked who in Armenia would spend that kind of money on a party in Yerevan. My answer? MARLBORO!!! They are targeting the youth in a blatant and horrifying way, I'm shaking to think what affects this will have here. Already Armenia is rated as one of the heaviest smoking countries in the world.
So here's the answer... educate! PR! advocate till your nose bleeds. What should we advocate? One doctor suggested taxing the hell out of cigarettes until the government can no longer afford to take bribes from Philip Morris. When I say PR, I don't mean a commercial that airs once a month on a hidden channel. I mean the future of our country is the youth and cigarettes might kill them before they have a chance to do something with it. SPEND THE MONEY TO SHOW THEM WHY CIGARETTES ARE BAD!!!! Show them the photos we grew up with of a smokers lung vs. a healthy lung, show the commercials of... hell THEIR OWN PARENTS!!! These people need to know why it's not cool anymore to smoke. If there is one cause that needs to pick up fast and so far has little effort taking place, it's this.
So the beginning of my anti-smoking campaign starts with this: Cigarettes hate you. Hate them back. That... and I ran my friends cigarettes under a sink yesterday. It felt so good. Keep your eyes on your packs, friends. I have no more shame.
The problem addressed at the conference starts with the doctors themselves, even smoking in the hospitals. I think I saw this for myself quite a few times. The days of saying "they have bigger fish to fry" are over. Pretty soon, this will be the only fish.
Despite a few laws that were passed to require non-smoking sections in restaurants, it seems there is very little interest in implementing that law given just as high (if not higher) a percentage of the government smokes themselves.
As everyone knows, smoking in the US has declined drastically in the last few years. However, most in the US probably haven't questioned why the cigarette companies are giving in so easily, but it's a problem that the rest of the world is started to realize very quickly. The future of business for these companies (Philip Morris particularly) is in developing countries where laws and restrictions are practically non existent. Take me for example. I lived in the US all my life and started to grow fond of the ban on smoking indoors. I move here, make a simple face at people for blowing smoke in my food at a restaurant and I'm told to get over it. Some started to convince me that anti-smoking campaigns are American propaganda to steel their cigarettes. Try to make sense of that.
It's well known that this is the new direction of cigarette companies, as addressed in this quote from www.tobaccofreekids.org.
"As tobacco use declines in the United States, the tobacco industry has aimed its deadly products and deceptive marketing at the rest of the world. The result: Five million people will die worldwide this year because of tobacco. Unless urgent action is taken, tobacco will kill 10 million people a year by 2020, 70 percent of them in developing countries."
Take this for a prime example of the lengths they will go. A few weeks ago, many of my friends attended what was said to be the biggest party of the year in Armenia. Supposedly, well over $200,000 was spent on music, sound, lighting, the location, everything. I asked who in Armenia would spend that kind of money on a party in Yerevan. My answer? MARLBORO!!! They are targeting the youth in a blatant and horrifying way, I'm shaking to think what affects this will have here. Already Armenia is rated as one of the heaviest smoking countries in the world.
So here's the answer... educate! PR! advocate till your nose bleeds. What should we advocate? One doctor suggested taxing the hell out of cigarettes until the government can no longer afford to take bribes from Philip Morris. When I say PR, I don't mean a commercial that airs once a month on a hidden channel. I mean the future of our country is the youth and cigarettes might kill them before they have a chance to do something with it. SPEND THE MONEY TO SHOW THEM WHY CIGARETTES ARE BAD!!!! Show them the photos we grew up with of a smokers lung vs. a healthy lung, show the commercials of... hell THEIR OWN PARENTS!!! These people need to know why it's not cool anymore to smoke. If there is one cause that needs to pick up fast and so far has little effort taking place, it's this.
So the beginning of my anti-smoking campaign starts with this: Cigarettes hate you. Hate them back. That... and I ran my friends cigarettes under a sink yesterday. It felt so good. Keep your eyes on your packs, friends. I have no more shame.
posted by Arsineh at 6:34 PM
28 Comments:
When we were little, my sister and I used to do evil things to my dad's cigs! lol We used to empty each one, put paper in it, and put them all back into the pack.... or we used to cut all the tobacco halves, leave the butts... and stuff them back into the pack..
lol He would go nuts... lol (Just a few more ideas for you Ars..) lol
i love how shooshig has such fun way of looking at this.. on the contrary when someone is blowing smoke my direction in a restaurant/cafe in yerevan.. i've gotten in confrontations and contemplated sticking that cigarate up their X$%. Can anyone name any NGO's that have funds allocated specifically for this cause.. who's paying for the anti smoking commercials on radio? where can we focus our energies to increase awareness… I also think ARF, Zharangutyoon, and Orinats yergir should take the lead on this in parliament and strengthen the laws… hopefully the other two "parties" will follow..
i'm thinking about applying for a grant to launch a social marketing campaign directed at not only smoking, but also reckless driving, "civilized street-crossing", littering and even elementary courtesy rules... i'm still brainstorming and researching, but now i know who my anti-smoking campaigne adviser would be -:)
Hayk, I like your thinking. But I feel like in Armenia, doing an overall campaign that covers a bunch of issues just waters it down and doesn't get the message across firmly on any of those involved... unless it's such a massive campaign that you have... say... ads all around town for smoking one month. And then replace them with ads for driving... then one for environmental awareness... etc. I would start with smoking just because it seems like there might soon be plans for traffic laws that will make campaigning easier in the long run. Meanwhile, there is little to no effort for smoking right now. I hear they are considering banning non-commercial traffic from the center soon.
Keep us posted on your grant writing, I'm ready with a million ideas!
Oh, and Pedro, the only thing I found so far is the Coalition for Tobacco Free Armenia which is online at:
http://www.tobaccofreearmenia.am/
They seem pretty active based on their website, but I'm not sure they've had the overall impact they could have if they were massively funded. I don't know anyone with ties to them... that I know of. It's a small town afterall.
AAMSHA did an antismoking campaign for 7th and 8th graders in the late 90's. I do not believe this is occuring anymore, but I believe that that's who our target audience should be, if not younger, since I am sure all of us have seen 10-12 years olds, asking for a light on the streets.
I'd like to help too.
arin
Though most of the world agrees quite correctly that smoking kills, many people in world also seem to believe that anti-smoking mentality in North America has almost reached a state of hysteria or fanaticism, not too far off from extreme feminism or extreme environmentalism.
Could it be long before for we start seeing anti-smoking terrorists committing acts "in the name of public health"? There are extremists in every movement of course, but one thing is for sure. Groups in the U.S. seem to be most pushy on this issue. Last I heard, they want to pass legislation to ban smoking within x number of feet of buildings. In other words, they are trying to control the outside air.
So either the U.S. is more right than the rest of the world (once again), or the rest of the world (including Europe) maybe, just maybe, it is more balanced in thought than U.S. public opinion on this issue.
Pedro.. what can I say.. I think humor can do a lot more than people give it credit :) :)
Hayk... I would TOTALLY volunteer to go to schools and talk to kids about safe street crossing! While driving, I've seen SOOOOOO many adults who don't look both ways! And that's just the beginning!
As a driver, I have to say that between watching out for the sewer metal thingies (which are worse than potholes), potholes, and crazy marshutnis who stop wherever and whenever they please, the LAAAAAAST thing I need is someone "trying" to cross the street when it is sooooo not the right time!!! GRRRR!!!!
according to Arsineh's mentioned website Armenia has officially joined the WHO FCTC on November 29, 2004, after the world tobacco treaty was signed by President R. Kocharyan and ratified by the National Assembly on October 12, 2004. So why aren't the rules being followed?? Can individuals file lawsuits against establishments that are not following below rules?? It won’t be hard to fundraise for attorney fees and set a precedent..
The Coalition called for the enforcement of the provisions of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), and specifically to: • protect every citizen’s right to a healthy environment by imposing a 100% ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces and workplaces • implement effective price and tax policies on tobacco products by increasing tobacco taxes aiming at lowering the tobacco consumption among youth and ensuring higher revenues for the state budget • ban all types of tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship, since only a total ban can result in decreased tobacco consumption.
With regards to John's comments, this is one case I would say that the extremism in the US is a good thing. Extreme situations call for extreme measures and the French have fallen behind on this one... sorry.
I'm not sure why campaigns for protection of health are seen as anything but necessary. For years these tobacco companies have be deceiving their customers and profiting obscenely. People's freedoms should only be considered when they do not affect or danger anyone else's. As far as I'm concerned, the second I smell smoke, I feel sick to my stomach.
I love the anti-smoking sentiment in the US. I dream of something on even just a tiny scale of what is happening there to happen in Armenia as well.
thanks for your advice Arsineh... the grant that I may apply for (the next round of applications should be in fall) offers max 5,000 USD... so, you're right about concentrating on one thing especially with the current exchange rate situation... this may sound unreasonable, but i am afraid that oligarchs in the tobacco business who are above the law will have anti-smoking billboards taken off or "forbid" commercials running on TV...
well, drive save Shooosh and ya'll for now..
Arsineh,
I agree with the "protection of health" argument and the fact that "tobacco companies have be deceiving their customers". That's for sure.
I don't agree with the extremism exceptions though. I don't think there are any exceptions, or that extremism should be encouraged. Maybe that's a little extreme of me! ;-)
As for feeling sick to your stomach when you smell smoke, I don't doubt that you do, but keep in mind that a large degree of that could also be a state of mind.
When I was a kid, we used to eat McDonald's all the time, and I loved it! Years later, though, after all the anti-fast food hype, I always feel gross after a Big Mac combo.
I don't think that Bic Macs have changed for the worse--they're as unhealthy as they ever were--but I think that me actually knowing the junk I'm eating is part of what's disgusting me.
Anyway these are endless, circular arguments. That's just my 2 cents.
Um John, let's consider what cigarettes do, versus something else bad for you, like Coca Cola.
Cigarettes harm your health. So too, does Coca Cola.
Cigarettes are viciously addictive. Not coke.
Cigarettes actually kill you. Not Coke.
Cigarettes actually not only kill you, they kill people around you. Not Coke.
Cigarettes cause you, and everything around you to wreak. Not Coke.
Cigarette butts are a lot more likely to become litter than a Coke bottle.
So. Please tell me what on earth society should tolerate that crap for. No really, I'm sure you couldn't begin to justify it, but after your comments on "extremism", shouldn't you back up your label of extremism?
I suppose I just don't see it as extreme. People's dependency on cigarettes should not dictate the standard for what is acceptable and what is not. It is not acceptable to smoke marijuana anywhere, but why? However, when one is told that you can't smoke cigarettes in any public spaces, including outdoors (where it does reach others walking out a building through a cloud of smoke), it becomes extreme. Why? Because they are addicted and have gotten used to the luxury of smoking wherever they want until recently. I guess I see it as relative.
As for the mental thing, I'm sure that's the case. I'm fine with that. But there's no doubt that smoking makes people inconsiderate, rude and selfish WHILE they are affecting my health.
Raffi,
Though I hate to cite "South Park" as a defence of my argument, this episode--even from back in 2003--really illustrates the point I was trying to make (and ironically it comes from U.S. writers), so without further adieu:
http://video.glath.com/view/southpark.Butt_Out
But the main point only comes at the end of the it. The episode is pretty funny though. Worth the watch.
Thanks Arsineh for raising such an important topic. Some of my friends have implemented a small anti-smoking campaign in Vanadzor among the university students and they were very pleased with the results. The students were mostly unaware of the the real health risks associated with smoking and were very curious to learn about them. It seems, the male students were mostly horrified to learn that it can cause male impotency. I am sure only this message can significantly cut down the number of heavy smokers among Armenian macho men:-)
As a non-smoker, ya -- I'd like the air around me to be clean and healthy.. especially since I've already had cancer once and it wasn't fun times.
But on the other side, sometimes I think... how can I force my own choices and opinions on someone else. Then I say... wait, smokers are forcing THEIR choice on USSSSS. So not only do they not care about their own health, basically they don't care about the lives of others around them.
Smoking is a sick addiction...why is it so socially accepted... it is beyond me. Then again, my grampa--a chain smoker-- always said he would die before he quit... and that he did, of lung cancer, skin cancer, emphysema,and failed kidneys... you get the idea!
My fiance smokes, but not around me...he has ALLLLLL day to smoke as much as he wants, but when he comes home the cigs stay in the car. :) It works for now :)
John, telling someone on dialup, in Armenia, to watch an online episode of Southpark is not going to cut it.
I am a libertarian, so the ONLY thing I believe is that you have the right to pursue happiness, as long as you don't impede others (reasonable) rights to do so themselves. Cigarettes are so evil that most smokers have tried to quit, and simply cannot.
I ask for your explanation, but admit freely beforehand that I'm convinced I will never change my mind on this.
You guys are still on dial up in Armenia? Geez.
My explanation is this. You don't have to convince me of the dangers of smoking. I don't think there is an issue there at all. Nor is there reason to mention that the tobacco companies know what's in there and consciously try to get their customers addicted. I don't have a doubt about that.
But the issue for me is hysteria that is created around most of these causes that get politicized. In the 50's this was a non-issue. It wasn't politicized. There were people that hated smoking, but it wasn't a political hot potato. In the year, 2050, there will be a new cause that people convince themselves (rightly or wrongly) that is a hazzard to public safety and will go buck wild, banning it everywhere. It will probably be something that we take for granted today. (And my guess is that it will probably begin in the U.S. again.) It could be cell phones, I wouldn't doubt it.
The South Park episode is called "Butt Out". It's a double entendre title, so the episode pisses on smokers for smoking, and also pisses on anti-smoking fanatics who get into other people's faces about the personal choices they make.
Basically it works like this: Americans come up with their cause of the day, almost like a fad. They go overboard on it, and then pass all these laws on it. Then the next cause comes along and it starts all over again.
The same thing happened recently with political correctness, or "terrorism", or internet preditors, or what have you.
You know my friend took her little girl to some suburban mall in Arizona. She took her to the kids play area in the mall and wanted to take a picture. Right away the security guy came up and told her it was forbidden because of fears of child preditors in the mall.
It's a mentality that's all. A mentality of irrational hysteria. That's the issue at hand. Not the dangers of smoking to your health or even to that of others. Not that somebody could indeed kidnap your child or not.
Instead of saying, hey, we have a screwed up civilization that's producing terrorists, politically incorrect rednecks, perverts, and substance abuse junkies, the mentality is "OH NO!! NOT MY CHILD, NOT MY LUNGS, NOT MY EARS, NOT MY TWIN TOWERS. PASS LAWS NOW!! IT'S THOSE SMOKERS, EVERYBODY GO AFTER THE SMOKERS, GET THE SMOKERS!!
I'm not saying if you are like that or not. I have no idea. I'm just pointing out that that exists out there.
I see what you mean, but advocacy is necessary to get things done. That's what a democratic society is. I don't target smokers for smoking, as long as they aren't breaking a law or completely forcing their smoke on others. If they respect me enough to sit away from me, or try to prevent smoke from coming towards me in smoking place, I appreciate it. Smokers are victims themselves, in a sense. I target my anger to the tobacco companies for trying to profit in such an unethical manner. In order to fight them, we have to convince smokers to not buy their products, or create laws. Education and advocacy. That's the best approach.
Also, fighting hard for an important issue doesn't make someone your stereotypical "cause-of-the-day" advocate. Sometimes people truly believe in the issues they take on.
Here's a link to a policy brief suggesting tax raise as an efficient strategy to fight smoking: http://blog.ichd.org/?p=9 (The English version is available here: http://ichd.org/?page=policy&pid=54)
Joining efforts, brainstorming ideas and engaging in a dialog on a number of levels might yield more fruitful results:-)
Arsineh,
Yeah I agree.
One time, I a took a 4 hour fast ferry ride. I requested non-smoking. But the smoking section was literally right next to my seat. It made no difference at all! So for 4 hours, I had to breath in second hand smoke. I was so paranoid about it. And in these types of ferries, there is no balcony; they're capsules. I could smell the smoke for the whole trip.
And that truely is unfair as a non-smoker. It left me with no choice. And ok, that was a one time thing. Big deal. But what if I was a business man that had to take that ferry every couple of days? Or a staff member of the ferry? No doubt it would affect me after a period of time.
Still for me, trying to control the air *outside* a building is just riduculous. It's people saying, "I'm a non-smoker, I hate smoking, so I'm going to impose my lifestyle on the rest of the world."
I think you are right, smokers are also victims. They are people with an extremely strong addiction. It is the tobacco companies that are the evil players here. All the crap they knowingly put into the product, and the way they advertise.
My friend's grandfather smoked daily since he was 16. But he always grew his own tobacco, and rolled his own cigarettes. It was pure. The guy is like 95 today, and still going, still smoking.
Nothing wrong with fighting for a cause in my opinion. That's how things get done. If the genocide ever gets internationally recognized it will be thanks to all those cause fighters. But with every cause you get the extremism. Balance is the key I think.
I'm an international health researcher who came back from a year long study of the health system in Armenia about a year ago.
With regard to smoking- In Armenia it is as widespread as it is dangerous, which is to say very. However, when life is as glum as it is there (for the average Armenian in the country), then cigarettes remain one of the only pleasures a person can reliably have. Asking them to put the cigarettes down is like lecturing a terminal cancer patient about smoking.
The biggest obstacles to smoking cessation programs in Armenia are not the international tobacco companies in terms of their advertising- rather it is the complicity of beurocrats and legislators who profit from the sale of cigarrettes in the country. As long as law makers are earning a profit from cigarrtte sales, why would they ever endorse curbs on cigarrette sales?
And there are so so so many more challenges. I recommend that cigarrette cessation activities in Armenia wait in favor of more pressing health issues in the country- like the availability of sanitary medical facilities, like the regulation and enforcement of medical licensing and credentialing, like providing leadership and jobs to a generation of youth that is witnessing, learning from, and in many cases emulating the mafia-mentality of the country's current oiligarchy.
I love Armenia, and I'm not even Armenian, but the country makes me so sad.
Good luck and thanks for the post.
Matt
Hi,
Long-time lurker, first time writer. (It's all part of the job covering Glendale for the LA Daily News...)
I just happened to be working on a story about smoking in Glendale, and I'm looking for someone who can explain the higher incidence of smoking among Armenians/Armenian-Americans. (probably a cultural thing -- as a Chinese American, I remember stories of folks in the old country spending like a week's salary on a pack of smokes...)
If you're interested, please contact me at eugene.tong@dailynews.com
I'll provide a few questions and explain further what the story's about. thx!
Eugene Tong
Staff Writer
Daily News Los Angeles
Matt, why would an anti-smoking campaign prevent Armenia from working on its medical care? The work needs to be done especially with children, in schools. That costs virtually nothing and helps kids not start - which is much easier than later quitting. It also helps when kids start educating their parents about the dangers :-)
Matt, I've been told throughout my life that I need to pick my battles. That is what I'm doing with smoking. My father and his organization has taken on the battle of proper equipment for hospitals... I will go this route. I understand what you mean, but if I start to think about all the things that need to be done, I would be just as sad as you. But change comes slowly with issue by issue. One by one, battles will be won and the country will become healthy and aware.
Eugene, I'm interested in what you have to say, I'll email you later.
Raffi, Arsineh, of course you're right that any effort to prevent the devistating health effects of smoking is an effort in the right direction. However, in Armenia (and many other countries) there are strong currents in the environment against which efforts on an individual level must swim in order to succeed; it may be more successful, and cost effective, to try and change the environment first, and then focus on the individual.
Even in the west, where policy, law, and culture are now changing to reflect an aggressive anti-smoking tone, quitting for most people is still very difficult. In an environment where smoking is all but celebrated (and perhaps even celebrated), quitting smoking should be rather impossible. Anti-smoking efforts must concentrate on curbing the facilitators of smoking, rather than the facilitated- at least for the moment.
Armenia is now embarking on the path of preventative medicine, and efforts along this path should include smoking cessation, in any event (such as in primary school, as Raffi has mentioned), but the many first battles won in the war against smoking in Armenia will be won on the battle field of the social and political, rather than on the battle field of individual behavior. I appreciate the ability to post, and your thoughtful comments.
Hi Matt - well I humbly disagree that individual minds cannot be changed without first addressing society. I think there are many examples of societal change coming as a cumulation of individual change.
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