Research Study On Marketing Tactics Of Tobacco Industry Launched

Umer Jamshaid Published November 25, 2022 | 05:10 PM

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Nov, 2022 ) :Society for Alternative Media and Research (SAMAR) has launched a research study on the marketing and interference tactics of the tobacco industry and its front groups.

The findings of the research launched in a ceremony show that the tobacco industry misleads and attempts to portray its New Novel Products (NNPs) as harmless with no negative effects on public health through different means of communication.

Moreover, the tobacco industry produces and disseminates misleading research-based information about its need to convince and attract youth to buy its products.

The speakers urged that the tobacco industry engages directly in lobbying and influencing to avoid facing negative market results and continue promotional activities without any check, particularly with regard to novel products.

They said that enforcement organizations at the Federal, provincial, and district levels can play an effective role to control the tobacco industry's marketing and promotional activities, especially for non-combustible novel products.

Researcher and author of the study book, Yawar Abbas explained that the purpose of the study was to understand exactly the tactics and activities of the tobacco industry and its front groups, besides their marketing strategies to promote novel tobacco products (NNPs).

Participants discussed further that tobacco control efforts could be accelerated in Pakistan and how Pakistan can achieve targets agreed upon in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). They pledged to accelerate efforts regarding FCTC's targets and tobacco control activities in Pakistan.

The event was attended by health experts and anti-tobacco advocates including Dr. Minhaj us Siraj, former head of Tobacco Control Cell and Professor at Health Services academy, Research Journalist Yawar Abbas, Shahzad Alam Khan, National Professional Officer, World Health Organization (WHO), Khuram Hashmi, Senior Technical Advisor, The Union, Sania Ali Khan Focal Person (STOP) A Global Tobacco Industry Watchdog, Mazhar Arif Executive Director SAMAR, Dr. Saba Amjad COO, Heart File and representatives of civil society and media.