Background
The European Union has made the fight against smoking one of its top public health priorities. Tobacco related diseases are the second biggest avoidable cause of death world-wide (around 5 million deaths every year) and the single largest cause of death in Europe: today, tobacco accounts for over 650,000 deaths every year in the European Union, i.e. one death out of seven. The “Help - for a life without tobacco” programme
On the 1st March 2005, the European Commission launched a large media campaign aimed at the tobacco prevention and cessation in the then 25 European Union Member States. Today in all the 27 EU countries, the European Commission´s campaign “HELP – For a life without tobacco” is the largest public health awareness-raising initiative ever organised in the world. The campaign targets young people (15-25 year-olds) as a priority. It addresses the three main themes of tobacco control - Prevention, Cessation and the dangers of Passive smoking - through an integrated communication programme: television and internet media campaigns, press relations, public relation events and an internet website in 22 languages.
The general motto of the campaign is to provide “Help and support”. The “Help” campaign aims to offer help to resist tobacco help to combat peer pressure, or help to address passive smoking.
Help results after two years
 172 million Europeans remember seeing the Help TV campaign
Strong approval rates for the TV campaign, especially amongst the under 25 year-olds: 83%
2.9 million Internet users informed through the Help website
300 national events held Europe-wide enabling 100 000 citizens to measure their tobacco-related carbon monoxide rates
The campaign was covered over 3 900 times in the press, on TV, radio and the web. |
