site.btaInstitutions, Citizens Sign Joint Memorandum against Tobacco Industry Advertising

September 9 (BTA) - The non-governmental Smoke Free Life
Coalition, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF
offices in Bulgaria, the Smoke Free Bulgaria Association, the
BlueLink Foundation, PR Care company and the Patient Portal
(www.portalnapacienta.bg) Monday signed a joint Memorandum on
ending the advertising and promotion of tobacco products and
sponsorship by the tobacco industry in this country and
implementation of the guidelines Article 13 of the WHO Framework
 Convention on Tobacco Control. The Memorandum, which was signed
 at the BTA National Press Club, was a result of a Strategic
Working Meeting on Tobacco Companies' Sponsorship, organized in
Sofia on May 21, 2019 by the WHO, the Health Ministry and the
Smoke Free Life Coalition.

A survey conducted by the US Johns Hopkins research university
in 2017 found that tobacco products were retailed within 250 m
from some 96 per cent of schools in the capital city and that 25
 per cent of 16-year-olds in Bulgaria were regular smokers. Any
form of tobacco product advertising which young people identify
increases their chance of starting to smoke by 7 per cent. IG/LG


/СН/