Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

European Commission unveils new 'Help' campaign TV advert highlighting dangers of passive smoking on children

12th January 2006

As part of its 'Help - for a life without tobacco' campaign, the European Commission today presented a new anti-smoking advert which will be broadcast from the 15th January on 80 television channels in 22 languages across all 27 EU Member States.

The new advertising campaign focuses on the negative health effects of passive smoking. The advert depicts a young adolescent experiencing breathing difficulties in her daily activities, and shows her watching her parents smoking in the living room.

European Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: "Every year, passive smoking kills 19,000 Europeans who do not smoke. This latest advertising campaign aims to remind smokers that their habit harms their children's health as well as their own."

The television campaign ties in with an e-mail and web based campaign where smokers can get help and advice to stick to their new year's resolution to quit smoking. The Commission's €72 million 'Help' campaign has been running for nearly 2 years. In that time, market research shows that over 150 million Europeans have seen the adverts, including 55% of young people, and the approval rating among the under-25 target group is 83%.

The Commission intends to publish a Green Paper on Smoke-Free Environments in early 2007 as part of broad consultation on the best way forward to tackle passive smoking in Europe.

The advert can be viewed at the following URL: http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/Tobacc...


For further press information please contact:
Niall Dologhan or Naomi van Moppes on 020 8789 2587 or at n.dologhan@kestrelcomms.co.uk

About HELP:

"HELP" is the second major EU-wide anti-smoking campaign run by the European Commission. The European Commission earmarked €72 million for the campaign between 2005 and 2008. Adolescents (15 to 18 year olds) and young adults (18 to 30 years olds) are the main target groups.

At the outset of the campaign Markos Kyprianou, the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, said: "The sickness and death caused by smoking costs EU countries €100 billion a year. Prevention and information campaigns like "HELP" are an investment in a healthier and more prosperous future for our citizens. As well as promoting tobacco-free lifestyles to young people, the campaign also highlights the dangers of passive smoking and supports the trend towards tobacco-free public places."

He continued: "Eight out of ten smokers start in their teenage years. Once hooked, it is a habit that takes many of them to an early grave. Every year, 650,000 EU citizens die from tobacco related disease. I am determined to do everything I can to stop young people taking up smoking, and to help young smokers kick the habit before it ruins their health. I want to see a major shift in our society, where being smoke-free becomes the norm and the smoke-addicted are a dwindling minority."

Press releases, press packs, the logo and pictures of the 'HELP' campaign can be downloaded from the Internet site www.help-eu.com.