China’s tobacco sponsored schools

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that a third of the world's smokers live in China. Cigarette brands are such an integral part of the establishment that even infant schools carry their names. 

When Mao Tse-tung came into power in 1949, he promised the Chinese people "food, a roof over your heads, and cigarettes".

Thanks to the "Project Hope", a government initiative launched in 1989 in which companies were invited to invest in the country's poorest schools, the Chinese tobacco industry has been benefiting from free advertising in the most impressionable of institutes.

"Sichuan Tobacco Primary School", "Liaoning Tobacco Company Primary School" and "Qinghai Tobacco Primary School" are just a few examples. Schools which have benefited from the generosity of tobacco company subsidies also have to adopt the name of the corporation. In the Sichuan school, the tobacco firm involved even put up a plaque carrying the slogan "Tobacco will help you succeed".

Well, if you're trying to succeed in dying, then it's no exaggeration - the WHO estimates that a million Chinese people die every year from smoking related illnesses.

Outside the Sichuan Tobacco Primary School, where the plaque reads "Ingenuity is the fruit of diligence - tobacco will help you succeed". The photo was published on the "Chinese Education News" website along with an article entitled "Tobacco promotion plaque on school wall ceases to amaze".


“This type of endorsement goes against our duty to protect children”

Sarah England works in China for the World Health Organisation.

We know that young people are very vulnerable to advertising and for that reason also an ideal target for recruiting new smokers. This type of endorsement goes against our duty to protect children. China ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [in 2005], which legally binds the country in prohibiting the direct and indirect advertising and sponsorship of tobacco.

Cigarettes are an important part of social custom in China and feature a great deal in the country's history, but that doesn't mean it's not possible to change the social norm. In Western countries nobody thought it possible to ban cigarettes in public places, but today it's very much accepted. Tax on tobacco is minimal in China, so the government could easily increase that tax to raise funds for government projects to reduce tobacco consumption and allow the government to fund the projects that are currently sponsored by tobacco companies.

The Chinese people are not well informed about the dangers of smoking. While in Hong Kong the photographs of smoking damage take up at least 30% of the cigarette packet, in China, there is only a small, written warning which doesn't specify the risks.

At the same time, the speed at which people are dying from smoking in the country is something of an epidemic which is endangering the national economy."

Caricature published on the state news agency website Xinhua, under the title: "The tobacco advertising invasion in schools, under the name Project Hope, is not a joke but a shame".

The desired effect for tobacconists

Video posted here.

Video posted here.


Why the heck are these kids smoking?

This is disgusting. I'm only in seventh grade, and I've enough sense to know that smoking can kill. It seems as though they only believe it is one of the best things. The worst part is, is that they stand there and can only laugh while these kids are puffing smoke in their faces.

Where are the laws the protect children

I found this disgusting that parents exposing their children to tobacco, it look like the children are already addicted to tobacco. If parents do not respect and love their children, who will?

Tobacco in China

China is not the only corrupt nation in the world and there are many worst than the Chinese.
Leave the Chinese alone and bully others with no concept of reality within their reach.

China and smoking

this sounds a little like the german war camps ie Auschwich.

perhaps with no tobaccoc

perhaps with no tobaccoc there would be no schools. Which is worst tobacco or no education WHY DON'T WE JUST MIND OUR OWN BUSINESS AND PUT THE UK RIGHT

Which is better?

If kids are smoking, their education will be all for naught if they're dead before they can take advantage of it! What do you mean which is worse? A well-educated dead child is still a dead child!

chinese kids smoking

That's disgusting! I love to smoke but BABIES? Let's hope it was a one time only thing purely for the sake of sensationalism!

im disgusted

that is the most disgusting thing ive ever saw & heard of, it makes me want to swear but i wont bring myself down to chinas level, china do not deserve to be given the time of day, they are the lowest of the low, i love chinese food but after seeing that, ill never eat it ever again, w.h.o should be given all the powers posible to put a stop to such a disgusting thing as that

Down with China

China is a criminal, supporting the killers to kill Iranian people who love DEMOCRACY.

Down with China and Russia....

How does this concern us

If the Chinese want to keep dying from Tobacco, then we should let them. I don't understan what we're doing there with the WHO anyway.