The package of anti-tobacco laws was submitted to President Nicolae Timofti for promulgation. The head of state is requested to promulgate this package and not to yield to the pressure exerted by those who may lobby in favor of the tobacco industry. Ghenadie Turcanu, project coordinator at the Center for Health Policies and Studies (PAS Center), made such an appeal in a news conference at IPN, where there was presented qualitative study “Publicity and promotion of cigarettes at retail outlets” that was carried out among children from primary education institutions, IPN reports.
Ghenadie Turcanu said that within the study, a child aged 8 said he would call the head of state to tell him what is going on at his school – all the children who are from grades higher than the fifth smoke, except for girls, and there is smoke everywhere in the toilets. The younger ones are very vulnerable to the smoking promotion techniques even if they are told about the noxiousness of the cigarette smoke.
Natalia Vladicescu, researcher at the Center for Sociological Investigations and Marketing CBS-AXA, which carried out the study, said the factors that stimulate smoking, in children’s opinion, are the accessibility of cigarettes, including by price, the group of friends, the example of smoking family members, smoking as a norm, advertising and promotion of smoking and cigarettes.
According to the study, the children from the municipality of Chisinau are directly exposed to the promotion of smoking and cigarettes. The promotion of cigarettes at retail outlets does not protect the children, who are attracted and influenced by the way in which the cigarettes are placed (in the immediate vicinity of the products that are attractive for children), the attention-grabbing techniques, by position, color and lights, and by the design of the packs of cigarettes. The design of many packs attract children and teens by the used colors, the form, drawings (flowers, fruit), name, etc. The children associate some of the packs of cigarettes with packs of chewing gum and candies. The pack can also cause associations with perfume, lipstick, mobile phones and other objects that are attractive for teens.
Particular methods of promoting cigarettes (use of such symbols as martsishors and fruit) create erroneous perceptions of smoking and artificially reduce the perception of the risks of smoking tobacco. The parents mainly do not realize the risks to which their children are exposed by the promotion of cigarettes at kiosks and other retail outlets.
The surveyed children expressed their bewilderment at the fact that they are told about the dangers posed by smoking, but the cigarettes continue to be promoted. They do not understand why so many adults, including family members, tell them that smoking is dangerous and/or promise that they will not smoke, but do the opposite. The children consider the cigarettes on shelves in stores should be replaced with candies, toys and books, while the cigarettes should be sold in particular places, where only the grownups will have access. They also suggested measures aimed at limitting children’s access to tobacco products.
