Experts slam tobacco-sponsored event
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The parkour event sponsored by Beijing Tobacco Factory. |
"We are not willing to see the Hope Project, which has touched so many people, be used by the tobacco industry," Wu said.
In China, the number of teenaged smokers has seen a significant rise in recent years.
According to a survey by the Ministry of Health in 2008, 15 million teenagers in the country are smokers, and another 14 million have tried smoking.
Sarah England, technical officer at WHO China, said recent studies have proved that the more young people are exposed to tobacco advertising, the more likely they are to start smoking.
Tobacco companies worldwide are pumping in billions of dollars to attract more and more young people to their addictive and deadly products through sophisticated marketing.
Tobacco manufacturers market their products wherever youth can be easily accessed - in the movies, on the Internet, in fashion magazines and at music and sports venues.
"China has endorsed the (convention) guidelines and has honored them by refusing tobacco companies' sponsorship for the Shanghai Expo and the National Games," Sarah England said.
"Further bans are needed on billboards, the Internet, cigarette giveaways and discounts," she said.
Tobacco now kills a million Chinese people every year.
According to WHO, if the present trend continues, this century will see 3 million tobacco-related Chinese deaths annually.
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