CANSA Submission to the Health Portfolio Committee

Parliament of South Africa

Tuesday 5 May 2008

By Martha Molete Head Communication

About CANSA

CANSA is the largest and oldest cancer Non Profit

Organisation (NPO) in South Africa (now 77 years old)

How serious is cancer?

1 in 4 South Africans affected in lifetime.

Over 80 000 South Africans die from cancer each year

Over 30 000 die of smoking related diseases

40% of cancers can be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle.

Leading cancers in SA

Men: prostate, lung, oesophageal, colorectal, bladder

Women: breast, cervical, colorectal, oesophageal, uterus

CANSA’s mission

We will substantially reduce the impact of cancer by promoting health in all communities within South Africa, through advocacy and the sustainable facilitation of research, prevention, early detection and care.

- WE FIGHT CANCER TO SAVE LIVES -

CANSA Services

Prevention: awareness, community education, healthy schools programme,

Early detection: Pap smears, PSA, skin clinics, breast examinations

Patient care: interim homes, counselling, support groups, wig banks, stoma clinics, daycare, Cancer Coping kits

Toll-free information service

Research

CANSA is the largest single funder of cancer research in SA contributing more than R4.5 million per year

Funds leading researchers at institutions around the country

Cancer in Action conference in August

Links research to advocacy for cancer control

THE ROLE OF TOBACCO IN CANCER

Tobacco

Biggest preventable cause of death &cancer

5 million deaths pa - mostly developed world

By 2020, most deaths developing world

Tobacco epidemic rising in Africa

Tobacco companies targetting Africa, China, youth & women

Tobacco companies try to get more African farmers to grow tobacco

Death & Destruction

“It is rare if not impossible to find examples in history that match tobacco’s programmed trail of death and destruction.”

Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, WHO

SA leadership

SA is one of few countries in Africa with anti-tobacco laws

Tax on tobacco is a good way to reduce consumption – proven all over the world

Anti-tobacco legislation of 1999 broke new ground and led to decrease in smoking

New legislation is an opportunity to do more in the war on tobacco

Tobocco Products Bill

While we at CANSA support the newly-passed legislation and applaud the South African government for their progressive anti-tobacco laws, it is necessary to have the second bill passed and be fully supported in order to further limit the advertising and promotion of these deadly products, especially to our young people.

 

Most start young

According to the WHO, most people start smoking before the age of 18, and almost a quarter of these individuals begin using tobacco before the age of 10.

The younger children are when they first try smoking, the more likely they are to become regular tobacco users and the less likely they are to quit.

Marketing death

Exposure to direct and indirect pro-tobacco advertising, together with other marketing strategies used by the tobacco industry, leads to an increase in experimentation by young people and, in turn, to the very real risk of their becoming regular users of tobacco products. The tobacco industry spends tens of millions of dollars worldwide every year to on marketing.

Close loop holes

One of the most effective ways countries can protect young people from experimenting and becoming regular tobacco users is to ban all forms of direct and indirect tobacco advertising, including promotion of tobacco products and sponsorship, by the tobacco industry, of any events or activities.

‘Alternative products’

CANSA staff and volunteers have noticed the increased popularity in the use of smoking and alternative tobacco products such as hookah pipes (“hubbly bubbly”), snus and snuff among young people.

New ways of advertising

CANSA staff have noticed a huge increase in non-traditional methods of advertising including sales at universities, change pads in cigarette kiosks, branding on pamphlets, videos, other display items and use of email and SMS.

The TI funds organisations that fund NPOs (eg Greater Good SA) and focus on “CSI”

The TI tried to survey CANSA’s views on tobacco under the guise of a “brand survey”.

No ads, no promos

CANSA is asking for the tobacco industry not be allowed to use ANY form of advertising or product placement, that no donations may be made except anonymously and that they may not use donations for publicity purposes.

News item on Greater Good SA website

“A big thank you to all those who made last month's Giving Exchange possible - visitors to the expo in Joburg and Cape Town, the organisations who staffed the displays, the designers who volunteered their services through Freelancentral to create the stunning posters, and our generous sponsors, The Fidentia Group, Noah Financial Innovation and Broking for Good, British American Tobacco South Africa, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Sandton City and Cape Argus.

Ban images of smokers

CANSA recommends banning images of tobacco use including people smoking from all media including print, tv and film.

CANSA also supports picture-based health warnings on the products.

CANSA supports the Bill’s aims

·  Amend the Tobacco Products Control Act, 1993, so as to define certain expressions and to amend certain definitions

·  Provide anew for the advertising, sponsorship, promotion, distribution and information required in respect of the packaging and labelling of tobacco products

·  Make the standards that apply to manufacturers of tobacco products applicable to importers of tobacco products

Bills aims, continued

·  Prohibit the sale of tobacco products to and by persons under the age of 18 years

·  Extend the provisions in respect of free distribution to tobacco products

·  Provide anew for tobacco sales by means of vending machines

·  Extend the Minister’s power to make regulations

·  Adjust the provisions in respect of offences and penalties

Let’s make 2010 tobacco-free

Let’s hurry to push through this legislation so that we can make 2010 tobacco-free!

China is making the Olympics smoke-free.

World Cup Korea 2002 was smoke-free.

Ban smoking in all stadia and fan parks and ensure no tobacco links to any 2010 activities.

Questions

Thank you

Together we can fight cancer and save lives