::: WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY :::

Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world. It is the only legal consumer product that kills one third to one half of those who use it as intended by its manufacturers, with its victims dying on average 15 years prematurely.

Approximately 1.8 billion young people (aged 10-24) live in our world today with more than 85% found in developing countries. Having survived the vulnerable childhood period, these young people are generally healthy.

However, as the tobacco industry intensifies its efforts to hook new, young and potentially life-long tobacco users, the health of a significant percentage of the world's youth is seriously threatened by their deadly products.

Why does the tobacco industry need to catch teenagers and young adults?

For the tobacco industry to survive it must hook new customers to replace those who die or quit. It must catch them young.
Most people start smoking before the age of 18, and almost a quarter of these individuals begin using tobacco before the age of 10.

Why are tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship a threat to young people?

The more exposed to tobacco advertising young people are, the more likely they are to use tobacco. The tobacco industry falsely associates use of its products with desirable qualities such as glamour, energy and sex appeal as well as with exciting activities and adventure.
Widespread tobacco advertising “normalizes” tobacco use, portraying it as being no different from any other consumer product, and making it difficult for young people to understand the hazards of its use.

Why do we need a total ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship?

The tobacco industry spends billions of dollars each year spreading its marketing net as widely as possible to attract young customers, targeting youth in fun and familiar environments, at the movies, on the Internet, in fashion magazines, and at music concerts and sports events.
The tobacco industry uses increasingly creative tactics to boost the sale of its products. Adverts on billboards, in magazines and on the Internet, comprise only one strand of the complex tobacco marketing net. The industry also ensures its products are highly visible in movies, on television and in the world of fashion. Tobacco companies sponsor sports and entertainment events, hand out branded items and organize numerous popular promotional activities in an attempt to win and keep their customers.
Only total bans can break the tobacco marketing net. The industry has numerous ways of targeting youth and partial bans merely allow companies to shift their vast resources from one promotional tactic to another.

Like every year, ADIC contributes to The No Tobacco day, to make a change among the youth. This year our project focused more on the technological side as it is easy and effective to convey the theme ‘tobacco free youth’ to youth. ADIC has created innovative and eye catching email video promotions which rotates among the email users around the world.

We have designed a WEB PAGE specifically for this project(the one you reading now). Apart from that, we have created (Translations of the English materials) Sinhala and Tamil materials such as Posters, Stickers, Banners, Leaflets (Leaflets are completely designed by ADIC).

Another method of promoting the theme is through our training programmes . Trainings cover different segments of Sri Lankan society. The education unit covers students, teachers, youth corps etc. community unit covers NGOs, CBOs, Samurdhi etc. plantation sector do trainings for managers, health staffs and workers.

Library unit has distributed information materials to the libraries and its visitors. Media unit has organized a special press conference, and participated for Radio and TV live discussions. Policy and campaign unit has also organized campaigns through the trainings. All these programmes are evaluated by the ADIC’s research and evaluation unit.