Cambodia Celebrated World No Tobacco Day on May 31, 2010

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Cambodia along with the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO), the Cambodian Movement for Health and other government and local partners promoted the celebration of World No Tobacco Day 2010 on May 31. The WHO theme for this year was Gender and Tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women. Multiple events were jointly conducted including two nationally broadcast radio program, a National TV program including guests from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education Youth and Sports, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and a mass media Press Conference. The culminating event was the joint Celebration of World No Tobacco Day 2010 and presentation of the WHO World No Tobacco Day award to Her Excellency Men Sam An, Deputy Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia held on May 31 at the Ministry of Health. This celebration was supported by the presence of the Minister for Health, Minister of Women’s Affairs, and other Secretaries of State and senior government staff. Speeches, reports and a drama were presented underscoring the deceitful tactics of the tobacco industry to lure young women and youth into addiction to cigarettes.

His Excellency Dr. Morm Bunheng, Minister of Health, stated that under his leadership, Prime Minster Hun Sen is focusing on promoting the health of the Cambodian people. He stated that reducing health risks to the poor is one factor for which he is concerned as it most affects the poorest. He mentioned that this event could not happen without support from all partner non government organizations and they are working with the ministries to prepare the draft Tobacco Control Law for approval by the Council of Ministers and passage by the National Assembly. To support Tobacco Control, the Cambodia government and National Assembly have to work together to pass the drafted Tobacco Control Law as the law can benefit both the government to receive more taxes and the general public who can be free from smoking cigarettes.

Her Excellency Eng Kunthapavy, Minister of Women’s Affairs, stated that as Cambodia remains a low income developing country, opportunities for people to receive quality health messages are still very low, unlike in developed countries. “Gender” equality and rights are one of the primarily concerns of the majority of Cambodian women living with husbands who smoke cigarettes. Media, such as television and radio, are useful tools for the tobacco company for product advertising. Therefore she proposed to Her Excellency Dr. Morm Bunheng and His Excellency Men Samorn to allow the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to be part of drafting and ratifying the Tobacco Control Law to ban all forms to tobacco advertising.

More than 250 participants applauded the Deputy Prime Minister as she expressed support of the tobacco control law and her long term promotion of the rights of women and children through her influential roles within the government. Upon receiving the award Her Excellency Men Samorn stated on behalf of herself and the people of Cambodia, that she was very pleased and honored to receive the World No Tobacco Day Award recognition and pledged to help to move forward the draft of Tobacco Control Law and other regulation for adoption in the near future.

ADRA Cambodia and the other Tobacco Control partners were pleased with the success of the World No Tobacco Day 2010 events and hope that key policy and law makers will ensure the Cambodian Governments compliance with its commitment to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ratified in 2005 through adopting an immediate comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising.

ADRA Cambodia’s Tobacco or Health program is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency through ADRA Canada in the Cambodian Action for Policy on Smoking and Health project.

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