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Foreign tobacco companies deliberatly target youth not only in Taiwan
as Dobson reported but also in mainland China [1]. A professor at
Shanghai Medical University complained that even his 3-year-old grandson
knows what a Marlboro Man is, even though no one in his family smokes
cigarettes [2]. Despite China's ban in 1995 on tobacco advertising,
foreign brands of cigarettes - such as Marlboro - have already taken a
foothold in the Chinese market through advertising. Next to Coca Cola and
Mickey Mouse, Marlboro is the third most well-known American brand name in
China [3]. A 1997 survey in China indicated that, of current smokers, 44%
still preferred Marlboro [2]. Chinese films and television programs are
full of smoking actors and actresses who are glamorous and cool. Because
of these pervasive and perverse propaganda, people in China of different
ages - especially teenagers - like to emulate them, making cigarette
smoking a fashion [2].
References
1. Cheng TO: Peer, parental, and commercial influences on cigarette
smoking among Chinese youths. J Nat Med Assoc 2004;96:691-692.
2. Cheng TO: Teenage smoking in China. J Adolescence 1999;22:607-620.
3. Cheng TO: The current state of cardiology in China. Int J Cardiol
2004;96:425-439.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
13 July 2005
Tsung O. Cheng
Professor of Medicine
George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037
Foreign tobacco companies deliberately target youth not only in Taiwan but also in China
Foreign tobacco companies deliberatly target youth not only in Taiwan
as Dobson reported but also in mainland China [1]. A professor at
Shanghai Medical University complained that even his 3-year-old grandson
knows what a Marlboro Man is, even though no one in his family smokes
cigarettes [2]. Despite China's ban in 1995 on tobacco advertising,
foreign brands of cigarettes - such as Marlboro - have already taken a
foothold in the Chinese market through advertising. Next to Coca Cola and
Mickey Mouse, Marlboro is the third most well-known American brand name in
China [3]. A 1997 survey in China indicated that, of current smokers, 44%
still preferred Marlboro [2]. Chinese films and television programs are
full of smoking actors and actresses who are glamorous and cool. Because
of these pervasive and perverse propaganda, people in China of different
ages - especially teenagers - like to emulate them, making cigarette
smoking a fashion [2].
References
1. Cheng TO: Peer, parental, and commercial influences on cigarette
smoking among Chinese youths. J Nat Med Assoc 2004;96:691-692.
2. Cheng TO: Teenage smoking in China. J Adolescence 1999;22:607-620.
3. Cheng TO: The current state of cardiology in China. Int J Cardiol
2004;96:425-439.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests