Communicating Messages effectively in the Media in Thailand

1
Communicating Messages effectively in the Media
in Thailand

• Prof.Prakit Vathesatogkit M.D.
• ASH Thailand
• October 17, 2007
• Taipei , Taiwan

2

• In Britain in the 1950s and 1960s The Medical
  scientists understood the dangers of Smoking but
  there was no change (in smoking trend). In the
  1970s the Journalist understood the dangers of
  smoking and cigarette sales began to decrease
  Substantially
• Sir Richard Peto

3

• The people who really need to understand the
  Evidence are the journalists because they provide
  information and can influence the public
• Sir Richard Peto

4

• Tobacco control advocates need to seek ways to
  keep the public informed and involved on the
  tobacco issue.
• Stanton A.Glantz Tobacco War 2000

5

• If advocates instead retreat to playing only the
  inside political game, they will probably fail
• Stanton A.Glantz Tobacco War 2000

6

• The media is an extremely powerful tool for
  reaching governments to work for change.
  Government officials watch TV, perhaps listen to
  radio, and read the newspaper.
• Debra Efroymson

7

• Media helps government officials understand what
  issues are hot and need to be addressed. The
  news media influences the government agenda in
  most countries.
• Debra Efroymson

8

• The more an issue is reported in the media, the
  more people will be aware of and concerned about
  it, and the more the government will be forced to
  take notice.

9

• Media coverage will also encourage the general
  public to realize that your issue is important.
  To keep our issues in peoples minds, we have to
  keep them in the news.
• Debra Efroymson

10

• Advocate one who support or
• speaks in favour of (policy etc.)
• Advocacy pleading in support of (something)
• Media advocacy advocacy through media

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Advocacy

• encouraging and sometimes pushing-of the
  government or other institutions to pass laws and
  policies or implement programs that will most
  benefit the public
• Debra Efroymson
• HealthBridge 2006

12
Media Advocacy

• Media advocacy is the strategic use of media as
  a resource for advancing a social or public
  policy initiative
• Media advocacy is indispensable for tobacco
  control because tobacco control policy is a
  public policy, and politicians are sensitive to
  public sentiment express through the media

13
News paper coverage for Tobacco and health issue
Thailand (2005) 1,643

• Source of news
• - ASH Thailand 268
• - MOH 210
• - Tobacco industric 87
• - International 209
• - Other GO. agency 143
• - Thai Health 42
• - All other sources 684
• 1,643

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Tobacco Control in Thailand

• Before 1986 - Weak health warning.
• - Ban of smoking in cinema and bus
  in BKK
• Formation of Thai Antismoking Campaign Project
  1986
• - a vary small staff budget
• - public education
• - media advocacy
• - lobby for police and legislation

15
To lobby for tobacco control policy we need

• - The evidence - international data
• - local data
• - Access to politician - direct
• - through media
• Build up public opinion
• - many means
• - media most cost effective

16
Health Professional marathon runOctober
23-30,1987

• a one week long event
• running from 4 different regions to BKK
• gathering signature in support of tobacco control

17

• A total of 6 million signature support tobacco
  control
• The signature was handed to House Speaker-
  Mr.Chuan Leakpai
• Encouraging Parliament to legislate tobacco
  control law

18

• 1987 - Antismoking marathon run by Health
  professionals

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6 millions signatures call for tobacco control
legislation
20

• Press conference before the event.
• Nightly TV coverage of runner arriving at each
  province
• Interview of runner and the public

21
Advocate for opinion leaders to be nonsmoking
role model
22
Changing the public attitude on smoking

• Target groups - Monks
• - Teacher
• - Doctor

23
Smoking prevalence in Chonburi Province

• Doctor ( ) 21
• Teacher ( ) 33
• Monk 52
• Jureerat.B 1987

24
Press release for the statistics and

• advocate for
• Stop offering cigarette to monk
• Smoke free hospital school regulation
• Doctor teacher should not smoke

25
ASHs first campaign poster Offering cigarette
to monk is a sin Objective To stop the
practice of offering cigarette to monks
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Most revere monk who quit smoking to be presenter
27
Ramathibodi University Hospital.BKK.(1987)

• Declared. Smoke free policy
• Stopped selling cigarette
• Put on no smoking signage
• Call a press conference
• Called on government to ban smoking in hospital
  by law.
• Wide media coverage

28

• More than a million of the
• children now living in
• Thailand will eventually
• kill themselves by smoking
• Cigarettes
• Generate great media interest
• Richard Peto 1988

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Dr. Richard Petossuggestion to Thai Government

• More public education
• Ban advertising and promotion
• Ban smoking in public places
• Tax increase

30
Advocate for Thai Women not to smoke

• Rational
• 1. very low smoking rate in Thai female
• 2. very low smoking related morbidity and
• mortality
• 3. Smoking among Thai women is socially
• unacceptable
• A major preventive public health
• opportunity

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Women and Smoking

• Objective
• Promotes positive Non-smoking role
• models
• Maintains social norm against female smoking
• Motivates women to support tobacco control

ASHs Women and Smoking programme is a
principally a media campaign for women
32
Smoking rate among women of specific occupations
in Bangkok metropolis () 1993

• Massage parlors girl 47.4
• Airline stewards 10.0
• Construction workers 9.0
• Housewives 6.0
• Businesswomen 5.0

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Strategies

• Networking of female celebrity and columnist
• Smoke Free Beauty Pagent
• Monitoring of smoking prevalence in
• female teenage
• Campaign against production of female brand of
  cigarette by TTM

34
Survey of Public Opinionon banning smoking in
air conditioned restaurant

• Restaurant owner Public
• Approve 81.5 81.7
• Disapprove 11.5 5.6
• No opinion 7.0 12.7
• ABAC Poll. November 2002

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Survey of Public Opinion on Banning smoking in
market

• shop owner public
• Approve 68.3 78.6
• Disapprove 15.2 9.5
• No opinion 16.5 11.9
• ABAC Poll May 2007

36
PM 2.5 level in various public places in Thailand
and Ireland
Thailand
37
PM 2.5 level in youth entertainment venue in
Thailand and Malaysia
38
Urine Cotinine Levels in Non-smoking Bar Patrons

• Days visiting Bar (ng/ml)
• Before Day 1 Day 2
• Average 0.5 1.1 3.7
• Sample No 10 September 2007

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Research for advocacy

• Provide needed information to convince government
  of a specific cause
• Answer a specific objection that is raised about
  a proposed policy change
• Could be easily carried out, inexpensive

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41
Sir Richard Peto

• Thailand is really unique among developing
  countries. Its managed to get a significant
  reduction in men who smoke. A quarter of
  middle-aged men (about 2 million) have stopped
  smoking
• Feb.2001

42
Signature Campaign to support Minister of Health
ban of point of sale display of cigarette pack
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Before ban of point of sale display 2005
After ban of point of sale display 2005
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Health professional support Minister of Health
ban of point of sale display of cigarette pack
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Working with media