The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: The Tobacco Free Schools Project attempted to enforce the Code of Advertising Practice and Direct Marketing of Kenya which binds all tobacco companies in Kenya. The Code which is a self regulation mechanism prohibits tobacco companies from advertising their products to persons below eighteen years of age. To entice children to smoke, tobacco companies were placing large billboards in or near school compounds. According to the National Agency for the campaign Against Drug Abuse, NACADA, over 57% of primary school children smoke cigarettes in Kenya.

Methods: The project sued the tobacco companies in the Advertising Standards Body of Kenya, which enforces the Code, seeking orders that they withdraw the advertisements. In addition, the project issued press statements and held press conferences that linked tobacco advertisements to the upsurge of children smokers, collected information from the general pubic regarding their support for the project, sent protest letters to the tobacco companies, and educated school management committees on the correlation between tobacco advertising near schools and children uptake of tobacco products.

Results: The Tobacco Free Schools Project found out that over 90% of parents supported the removal of tobacco advertisements in or near schools. The media gave extensive coverage to the case and press conferences showing footage of tobacco products billboards near school. The Advertising Standards Body of Kenya ordered tobacco companies to remove all outdoor advertisements within 3 km radius of all schools attended by persons less than 18 years of age