British American Tobacco violates Cmr advertising laws

The BAT Company launched since June an advertising campaign around its tobacco Diplomat mark products.

League of Cameroonian consumer (LCC), in Littoral, reminded the members of the nation to be indignant against the promotion.

This association for the protection of consumers reproached advertising public postings accompanying the promotional campaign for the month of June 2014 engaged by the British American Tobacco Company.

It should be recalled that this company had been charged last year for the same reasons by the association of consumers.

According to LCC officials, this advertising is in flagrant violation of law No. 2007/018, December 29, 2006 governing advertising in Cameroon including in article 39, paragraph 1.

There is need to recall the significant threat posed by the consumption of tobacco on the health of the smoker and his entourage.

Cameroon is a signatory to the WHO Convention for the fight against tobacco. We must limit the damage caused by smoking and prohibit any actions that promote the consumption of tobacco among the youth.

It should be noted that, according to the Ministry of health, Cameroon saves approximately 66,000 deaths each year because of smoking against 6,000,000 worldwide; 15% of young people under 15 years are smokers with a prevalence higher in schools; 44% of students experimented tobacco 5% at the age of 7 years. Among women, smoking is one of the leading causes of sudden death of the infant and underweight at birth.