Tobacco on Trial - A BBC radio series - India/South Asia

Tobacco on Trial was aired for 15 minutes in a 15 week series.Although the programme had a wide appeal, it was aimed at the youth population in hopes the message would reach them before they were addicted. Broadcast in Hindi, it sent a positive message to millions of listeners and set an example of socially responsible radio. The last 3 programmes were interactive. A specially designed website accompanied the radio series providing health information, background data, a People's Poll and an interactive debate on the pros and cons of smoking. Involving the community has proven to be very successful in conveying a lasting message.

Tobacco, Health, Children, Youth

Kick the Habit promoted the awareness of smoking related issues, particularly where young people were concerned. It was discovered that many children had very little knowledge of the dangers of smoking. After witnessing a Will's sponsored 1996 Cricket World Cup, 16% of 5000 14 year old school children surveyed believed that "they would become better cricketers if they smoked Wills". The programmes aimed to expel the myth, especially among women and children, that it was "cool" to smoke by educating the listeners about the 4000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, the 28% higher level of nicotine in Bidis over traditional cigarettes and the fact that India is now the world's leader in oral cancer due to the new craze "Gutkha" (another form of tobacco chewing). The progress of 5 volunteers who were trying to quit smoking was followed on the air through telephone interviews. The final programme was aired from schools hosting live anti-smoking presentations.