[Intl-tobacco] Update: Turkey & Wal-Mart campaigns

[Robert Weissman]

From: Anna White <awhite@essential.org>

Dear Friends,

The latest from Turkey and Mexico...

WORLD BANK ISSUES TOBACCO POLICY STATEMENT IN TURKEY
For background information see:
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco/letter/tr0201.html

Elif Dagli reports that the combined efforts of the Turkish tobacco
control community and the GPTC letter writing campaign have led the
World Bank to issue a public statement today re: its policy on tobacco
and tobacco industry sponsored "youth smoking prevention" programs.  An
excerpt:

     "The World Bank explicitly does not endorse youth anti-smoking
     programs supported by the tobacco industry.  Many of these
     programs urge youth  to wait until they are old enough to
     smoke.  Instead of  reducing tobacco use among young people,
     these programs may encourage it.  It is hard to see how a
     company that sells cigarettes can be a credible partner in
     efforts to reduce smoking."

The statement is posted on the World Bank's website
http://www.worldbank.org.tr (under "Special Interests"). You can also
access it at:
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco/letter/tr0201wb.html

Meanwhile, Elif and her colleagues continue to expose the bogus "youth
smoking prevention" program in Turkey.  They recently held a successful
press conference at which they distributed packets of information,
including a press release, facts about industry "youth" programs, and
the letter they received from the World Bank's Turkey Country Director.
The press conference was aired on at least one TV channel and appeared
in the country's far left and right newspapers  (the main "politically
central" newspaper and television channel are owned by a conglomerate
with ties to Philip Morris). Elif has also spoken with the Turkish
Minister of Privatization on the phone.

A big thanks to the following GPTC participants who have emailed and
faxed letters so far:
Michel Kamandeu (Cameroon), Véronique Le Clézio (Mauritius), Colin
Richardson (Papua New Guinea), Cornel Radu (Romania), Prakit
Vateesatokit (Thailand), Adriana Menéndez (Uruguay), Jennifer Wieczorek
(CO - USA)

Letters are still needed to the Turkish President, Prime Minister, and
Minister of Privatization! For talking points and contact information
see: http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco/letter/tr0201.html


WAL-MART REMOVES MARLBORO ADVERTISING IN MEXICO
For photos and links to more information:
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco/photos/walmart.html

Joseph Cherner of SmokeFree Educational Services, Inc. reports that
almost 1,000 letters have been sent to Wal-Mart from his website urging
Wal-Mart to stop advertising cigarettes in its stores around the
world.   It appears that Wal-Mart is responding.   For the first time
since the organization began its campaign, all tobacco ads in Wal-Mart
stores in Mexico have been taken down.  It is still unclear whether or
not this is a worldwide change. How you can help:

* Send a letter to Wal-Mart asking for a confirmation of Wal-Mart's
policy.  So far, Wal-Mart is not commenting.  Go to
http://www.smokefree.org/walmart.

* If there are Wal-Mart stores in your country, check to see if the
tobacco advertising has been removed from them as well.

All the best,
Anna

Global Partnerships for Tobacco Control
Essential Action
P.O. Box 19405
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: +1 202-387-8030
Fax: +1 202-234-5176
Email: awhite@essential.org
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco