Health experts and civil society expressed their concern over a testimonial given by a renowned politician which they said was for promoting the habit of smoking.
Protesting the PPP leader, and former ambassador to the US, Abida Hussain’s one-page testimonial titled ‘My favourite mistake’ (published in Newsweek), they said that it was a violation of law.
They also urged the government to take stern action and ask Hussain to make an apology, it has been learnt.
The Network Executive Coordinator Nadeem Iqbal said it is the second violation of tobacco laws by the same organisation and the government seems unable to act. “This is another implicit advertisement campaign by Philip Morris which has unfortunately hit the inherent gaps in Pakistan’s tobacco control laws,” he said.
Adding that, “Testimonials are an established advertisement and propaganda technique for promotion using words of famous people or authority figures. The network condemns the approval of a lethal product that causes more than 100,000 deaths annually in Pakistan.”
He said going through the piece, one easily notices Hussain’s “endorsement” of billboards carrying the image of the Marlboro Man, concluding with how, she fell in love with the mascot and bought her first cigarette pack.
“The deceptively weaved message for young men and boys is that girls are attracted to this brand,” he said.
“She talks of smoking and not having any health problem, thereby implying that cigarettes don’t have any health risk. She also narrates how she braved stigma as a female smoker. “Her statements challenge overwhelming evidence that tobacco smoke is a known carcinogen,” he said.
“Hussain’s concluding words about how being a female smoker made her a better politician obviously target educated females,” he added.
Meanwhile talking to The Express Tribune Professor Dr Ashraf Chaudhry, a health expert who worked with the Health Ministry’s tobacco cell, felt the piece was indirect promotion of tobacco, which is banned.
Similarly, a health expert said that on one hand the government claims to be making efforts to provide a healthy environment to the people, while on the other, its own members are violating laws by giving interviews promoting its use.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2012.
COMMENTS (9)
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@kanwal: Abida is in a race to out money Zardari :)
Even the most educated in Pakistan have lost their minds.
so what is the issue here? men can promote and women cannot?
Pakistan leaders, it seens, have been bought by big money industry lords. Smoking is the easiest way to destroy a nation. This NONSENSE must be stopped. In fact the government should start a campaign to educate people about the dangers of smoking. Increase taxes on tobacco products to pay for it, it will also act as a help in reducing consumption.
she did wrong . she has some responsibility being a leader . she is just tempting young people to this toxic evil. I accept its her personal matter but she shouldn't have openly disclosed favoring it . Many of her young fans might start following her habit . this is just pathetic act by a person in authority.
You gotta be kidding me. Do these 'experts' have nothing better to do? If you don't like it, don't read it! She's not asking you to share a smoke with her so don't flatter yourselves.
Come on guys! let the poor lady make some money.
Organizational culture especially in NGOs working for women's rights also have a similar smoking culture which apparently is promoted to defy cultural subordination of women, and announcing that they are equal, thus can smoke like men. Forget about health concerns, smoking becomes a feminist issue. However it must also be noted that for centuries rural women have been smoking without being the proponents of women' s emancipation and empowerment.