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British American Tobacco (BAT) and other tobacco manufacturers have long tried to pull the wool over the public’s eyes, Kenyans included that they are not out to market their extremely toxic product to the youth.

Going to great lengths to appear to be a socially responsible company, they recently launched a website to place all their so-called initiatives on for the entire world to see and so continue to be further fooled.

One such document residing here has the noble sounding title "Why the tobacco industry is supporting youth smoking prevention programmes". In it they disingenuously state, "no responsible person wants minors to smoke and neither do tobacco companies. As responsible companies, we believe that we must take a leadership position, joining with others in society to help prevent youth smoking. To that end we currently support more than 130 youth smoking prevention programmes in over 70 countries, in many instances working closely with national and local governments."

Why I call this statement dishonest is that primarily it subtly begins to implant the idea that smoking is all right as long as one is an adult. This flies in the face of science that has proved beyond any doubt that smoking is extremely hazardous to not only one’s health but also to those in close proximity to the smoker.

This document and others are filled with statements which sound sensible and reasonable but when actually analysed are actually wanting in substance, while continuing to sublimely plant in our subconscious the idea that cigarette smoking is not such a bad thing after all.

It is in this same mien that they gush, "We support clear, enforceable minimum-age laws", in another heading, spelling out how this will be done. “Currently, more than 100 countries do not have minimum-age to purchase laws. Around the world, we are working with local governments to enact this legislation. We believe that the minimum should be 18.

"In addition we are working with the local retail trade and distributors to implement youth access prevention programmes in countries with and without minimum-age legislation."

What could sound more reasonable? That is until one considers what would make smoking safer for say a 19-year old who technically is older than a minor? But even more deceitful is that who would suspect someone had less than pristine motives if it is perceived they are the very persons who appear to be extremely concerned and are even apparently pushing for legislation to prevent harm to the youth. How can these be bad people?

This then is how they seek to mask the fact that tobacco is not only a drug but also that it contains 4,000 plus hazardous chemicals 40 of which are carcinogenic or cancer causing. How do you try to turn illness and death into a benign mass consumption product?

Nevertheless, this is what a self-confessed smoker in a past publication in this newspaper would try to help BAT do as she sympathises with them. For to her the tobacco industry "long beleaguered by accusations that it endorses underage smoking" has proved its critics wrong as they have now introduced "personalised adult communication".

She literally gloats "as for the 2006 Tobacco Control Bill, just when proponents thought they had scored major victories in banning tobacco advertising" tobacco companies adroitly shifted the goalposts.

Companies such as Japan Tobacco, British American Tobacco and Phillip Morris she states, have since early 2003 embarked on "permission marketing" or direct marketing to adult smokers who have given consent to receive such. "In what will be viewed as a devastating blow to WHO’s ‘win-win situation’ in reference to Tobacco-Free Initiatives, the tobacco industry by zooming in on the individual adult smoker directly, puts to rest any arguments of an advertising spill over to adult non-smokers and the youth alike."

This according to her “assails the mantra sometimes heard in tobacco-control circles that tobacco companies need to get young people to smoke to replace older smokers that have died."

What the writer needs to realise is that the greatest strategy that BAT Kenya and other tobacco companies rely on to market this drug, is positioning it as an adult product. This is the greatest example of reverse psychology on an unsuspecting public for by doing this kids who are trying to appear adult and mature are falling over themselves to start smoking.

As the Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) U.K succinctly put it in their booklet "Trust Us We’re The Tobacco Industry" these companies spend "a huge amount of time and money working out the image that brands must convey to entice youngsters to smoke them.

“It markets cigarettes as a statement of individuality, rebellion, and a right of passage to adulthood to youngsters looking for reassurance and an identity." Millions of documents that they were forced to place on the internet show in their own words how tobacco companies have known for decades that they cannot survive without marketing to the under 18’s.

Sample this from the R.J Reynolds tobacco conglomerate way back in 1973. "A new brand aimed at the young smoker must somehow become the ‘in’ brand and its promotion should emphasise togetherness, belonging and group acceptance, while at the same emphasizing individuality and ‘doing one’s own thing’.

"The teens and early twenties are periods of intense psychological stress, restlessness, and boredom. Many socially awkward situations are encountered. The minute or two required to stop and light a cigarette, ask for a light, find an ashtray, and the like provide something to do during periods of awkwardness and boredom.

"The fragile, developing self-image of the young person needs all the support and enhancement it can get…This self-image enhancement has traditionally been a strong promotional theme for cigarette brands and should continue to be emphasized."

The BAT Kenya website and talking about its youth no smoking programmes is therefore part of an elaborate strategy as a 1991 Tobacco Institute memo shows. Its aim is counter "counterproductive" restrictions on cigarette advertising by "reinforcing the belief that peer pressure-not advertising- is the cause of youth smoking."

"The strategy is fairly simple: heavily promote industry opposition to youth smoking, align industry with broader, more sophisticated view of the problem, i.e., parental inability to offset peer pressure. Work with and through credible child welfare professionals and educators to tackle the ‘problem.’

This strategy goes a step further with a deliberate attempt to alienate the tobacco restriction lobby groups and non-governmental organizations (NGO’s). "Bait anti-tobacco forces to criticize industry efforts. Focus media attention on antis’ extremism. Anticipate and blunt antis’ strongest points."

Finally, "establish the sense of a growing, well-accepted program by encouraging a proliferation of small, local projects, and appropriate co-ventures with other TI" (Tobacco Industry) "allies. Avoid dependency on any one organization."

The tobacco industry is a well-oiled machine, which spends billions of shillings to device ways of getting young people to smoke and keep smoking well into adulthood. Everybody who tries to get in the way of this goal must be outwitted. It is the ultimate game of chess and anybody not associated with the industry is a pawn!

David Ogot Snr. Is the programmes director of the goinghomedotcom Trust a media NGO specializing on drug abuse issues. A recovering alcoholic he can be contacted at goinghomedotcom@yahoo.com website: www.goinghomekenya.org

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