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

[Guest guest]

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

 

 

Eye on Human Rights [humanrights]

Tuesday, October 08, 2002 5:47 PM

Nagendra S. Rao

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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