P3.06-004 Role Models “A Tool for Effective Tobacco Control Campaign”

Abstract

Each day, nearly 6,000 children under 18 years of age start smoking; of these, nearly 2,000 will become regular smokers. In Nigeria, 25.9% students in Lagos Nigeria currently live in homes where others smoke in their presence, 43.1% are around others who smoke in places outside their home, 14.6% of the students currently use any tobacco product. Approximately one half of student’s exposed to cigarette smoking will also die prematurely from second hand or tobacco use; this is mostly after several years or more of excess disease and disability. Experience has showed that adolescent and youths all over the world especially Nigeria are attracted to media of any form. Three (3) Role Models loved by adolescents were used to give a tobacco control sensitization talk and showed support towards implementation of the Nigeria Tobacco Control Bill for ten minutes each on a video that was televise in the targeted schools. These methods creatively increased the awareness level of young people in Nigeria on the harmful effect of tobacco smoking and promote the campaign against tobacco smoking. The video reached about 12,200 students with over 721 success stories; the method reduced the rate of youth smoking among students in targeted schools by 27%. Evidence has showed that some of these role models are used as a campaign tool by the tobacco industry in Nigeria and other countries. It is therefore systemic and appropriate to use the same method to reduce the current upsurge in youth smoking and cancer related disease in Nigeria and Africa.