THE Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) yesterday issued a strong call for the local film, fashion and entertainment industry to stop advertising tobacco-related products and promoting smoking in their activities.

"We are calling on the fashion and film industry to stop promoting smoking in the movies and so on. Our statistics show that over one million people die from tobacco-smoking yearly," said Maria Rankine, who was speaking on behalf of Dr Manuel Pena, the PAHO/World Health Organisation representative in the Caribbean.

She cited research findings that movies portray unrealistic views of smoking and tended to downplay the significant health risks associated with the practice.

"In the movies it is mostly the rich who smoke but in reality it is the poor who do," said Rankine. She challenged the local industry to take some concrete action, including putting on strong anti-smoking advertisements before movies and putting an R rating on movies that promote tobacco-smoking. Rankine's speech was made at a press conference put on by the Ministry of Health at its downtown Head office to highlight No Tobacco Day - May 31.

"The aim of the day is to encourage smokers to quit," said Rankine.

Her message was supported by health minister, John Junor, who in a speech read by chief medical officer, Dr Barry Wint, promised that the government would look at tougher measures for tobacco control.

"The Ministry of Health is convinced of the unequivocal and overwhelming evidence of the harmful effects of tobacco consumption on health... We intend to continue the thrust of legislation to enforce tougher measures for tobacco control and to more effectively control tobacco use, particularly among youth," Junor said. The Ministry also had a panel discussion on the harmful effects of tobacco-smoking.

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