Bloggers and Smokers Shocked by Tobacco Ads Targeting Teens
Published on October 21st, 2011 07:18
Famous Russian blogger Alexey Navalny accused Donskoy Tabak, the largest cigarette maker in the country, of targeting teenagers, and received overwhelming public support for his efforts.
In his blog Navalny blamed Donskoy Tabak for luring young girls into smoking by launching a campaign for its new cig brand Sweet Dreams, which features glam chicks traveling from Rome to Paris and New York City. The tobacco company denied the accusation, but promptly eliminated Sweet Dreams from the market after being the focus of massive criticism, mostly very rude and aggressive, from Russian blogosphere.
“I understand, they should advertise their smokes among current smokers, but encouraging teens to start smoking with glossy ads is totally unacceptable,” commented one experienced smoker.
Navalny admitted that tobacco giant’s move to withdraw its new product from the market has been a “rare victory of people”, that was not enough, although. “If it happened in the U.S or Europe, Donskoy Tobacco would have faced multi-million fines and lawsuits,” he blogged. Yet, the massive protests do show that the attitude towards smoking and addiction to tobacco is changing in the country where smokers account for more than 30 percent of all population.
According to the data by Ministry of Health, more than 50 percent of adult men and 30 percent of adult women are smoking in Russia. Though Russian government required health warnings in 2009, the number of smokers is growing constantly, whereas nearly 500,000 Russians pass away each year due to health complications, caused by smoking, most of them being middle-aged men. In addition, Russian government is in the process of approving a set of stringent anti-tobacco measures, which would successfully ban smoking in all public venues and sales of tobacco products near schools, as well as other prohibitions.
Anticipated double increase in tobacco taxes – which would see a pack of cigarettes cost 60 rubles ($2) - is expected to boost government revenues and cut smoking rates. Galina Maslennikova, the author of the legislation, stated the number of smokers across Russia will be down by 10 - 15 percent when the law takes into effect, saving thousands of lives each year. While, tough laws are bad news for tobacco giants, such as Philip Morris International, Japan Tobacco International, British American Tobacco and Donskoy Tabak, which have been yielding huge profits in Russia, it would still take much time to convince Russian smokers to get rid of their pernicious habit. Donskoy Tabak is one of the leading tobacco companies in Russian cigarette market. The company produces its own brands, such as Sweet Dreams, Asmolof, and others, as well as the products manufactured under the license of foreign companies, such as Innovation Tobacco Company – producing such brands as Kiss, Armada, Marshal and Play, and Richmond Tobacco Trading – with such brands as Aroma Rich and Richmond.
