Successful World No Tobacco Day: Stop & Win Victory for a Student

While South Africa celebrates a happy World No Tobacco Day with the theme of protecting the poor from the relentless marketing onslaught of the tobacco industry, the student winner of the "Stop and Win" competition was ecstatic.

Larissa Pienaar, a 24-year-old student at Tshwane University of Technology is doubly delighted now that she has stopped smoking and won the prize of a holiday for 2 in Rio de Janeiro. Larissa's best friend, Linda Pfeiffer will join Larissa on the holiday and is also winner of the R 2 500 supporter's prize. Larissa also qualifies for entry to the International super prize of US $ 10 000.

This is a significant winner at a time when the tobacco industry has been exposed for targeting young students on campuses and British American Tobacco has criminal charges being investigated against it for giving free cigarettes to students.

Larissa said that she was completely taken aback and didn't believe it at first. But then reality dawned. "I no longer wake up coughing and all the wasted money was a huge thing" enthused an excited Larissa. She added "I could cope with the cost of smoking only by eliminating a few luxuries, but the poor are far worse off. They cannot feed their children".

The poor are the biggest victims of the tobacco industry with money which could be spent on nutrition and education being wasted instead on tobacco and going up in smoke. That waste can lead to malnutrition and lower education for a sector of our community struggling to rise above the poverty line. "It is iniquitous that the government is forced to pay for feeding the poor children and pay for public health care costs to replace money spent by the poor on an addiction to tobacco and nicotine. It almost amounts to an indirect subsidy to the tobacco industry", said Peter Ucko, director of the National Council Against Smoking. "We must continue with this vital campaign for protection of the poor against the ravages caused by the tobacco industry. We must ensure that there are tighter and stronger controls over the tobacco industry which put profits above the lives of our people." added Ucko.

Ends

For more information contact:

Dr Yussuf Saloojee: Executive Director

Peter Ucko: Director
National Council Against Smoking
Tel: 011 643 2958 or 011 725 1514
Fax: 011 720 6177
Mobile: 082 454-9889
Email: ucko@iafrica.com
Snail mail: P O Box 1242 Houghton, 2041