South Africa Scores Big with Smoke-Free Policy at 2010 World Cup

2010-06-11

STATEMENT: 11 June 2010

For immediate release

Contact:

Antonella Cardone

Director, Global Smokefree Partnership

a.cardone@globalsmokefreepartnership.org

+39 335 62 44 383

Andrew Becker

andrew.becker@cancer.org

212.237.3899

South Africa Scores Big with Smoke-Free Policy at 2010 World Cup

The Global Smokefree Partnership (GSP) congratulates the South African government on making the FIFA 2010 World Cup a smoke-free event.

GSP, an international coalition dedicated to promoting smoke-free policies worldwide, hails the move as an important step to ensure the health and well-being of those present at the matches.

According to the Ministry of Health, a smoking ban will be in place in all 10 official stadiums and public transportation to and from the venues in cities throughout South Africa during the 2010 World Cup. The health department has run a public education campaign, posted anti-smoking signs in stadiums and surrounding areas, and will deploy marshals to ensure compliance with the measure. Offenders who violate the smoking ban will be ejected from the premises.

“We are extremely pleased with the South African government’s decision to host a smoke-free World Cup,” said Alice Grainger-Gasser, co-chair of the GSP. “This policy sends a clear message to fans around the world that there’s no room for smoking at sports events. Sports celebrate life, and football fans deserve to be protected from the health harms of second-hand smoke.”

Secondhand smoke is a known cause of lung cancer, heart disease, low birth-weight births, and chronic lung ailments such as bronchitis and asthma, particularly in children. According to the World Health Organization, the only effective means to eliminate the health risks associated with secondhand smoke is through implementing 100% smoke-free environments.

“With the world watching, a smoke-free World Cup in South Africa reinforces the message that tobacco kills,” said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., chief executive officer, American Cancer Society. “Congratulations to the South African government for their continued leadership in tobacco control.”

For many years, South Africa has been at the forefront of tobacco control efforts in Africa. National tobacco control legislation, in place since 1993, was amended in September 2009 to include stricter regulations on smoking in public places, advertising of tobacco products, and graphic warning labels on cigarette packs.

“The 2010 World Cup is a celebration of sporting excellence and healthy lifestyles so soccer fans should not be exposed to the fumes of a product which causes over 5 million deaths a year,” said Yussuf Saloojee, president of the National Council Against Smoking in South Africa. “We have world-class stadiums and red-carding cigarettes will make the venues healthier, cleaner and family friendly.”

The decision to host a smoke-free 2010 World Cup is the latest in a series of efforts to remove tobacco from sports events around the world and protect the health of athletes and sports fans alike. The 2002 World Cup, hosted by Japan and South Korea, and the 2003 All-Africa Games, were smoke-free. More recently, China declared the 2008 Summer Olympics tobacco-free, while Lao PDR organized the fourth smoke-free Southeast Asia Games in December 2009.

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The Global Smokefree Partnership is a multi-partner coalition dedicated to promoting smoke-free policies worldwide. The Partnership is co-hosted by the American Cancer Society and the Framework Convention Alliance. Partners include Action on Smoking and Health - DC, Action on Smoking and Health London, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Cancer Research UK, HealthBridge India, International Union Against Cancer, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Promoting Action for Smokefree Environments (APALTA), Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Smokefree Partnership Europe, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, World Heart Federation, World Lung Foundation. Funding partners include Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer. www.globalsmokefreepartnership.org

For more information:

Tobacco control in South Africa –

http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca/dspace/bitstream/10625/43320/1/130186.pdf

2009 amendments to national tobacco control law –

http://allafrica.com/stories/200909010709.html

Stadium Code of Conduct at 2010 FIFA World Cup –

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/organisation/ticketing/stadiumcodeofconduct.html

Africa’s struggle to be smoke free –

http://www.lancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2810%2960032-3/fulltext