In Ivory Coast, journalists received training on the harm caused by tobacco

At the initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), around thirty Ivorian journalists were trained for three days on the consequences of smoking, in order to be better able to raise awareness among the population and political decision-makers.

"We are aware that we are the 4th estate. We must therefore put this power at the service of society. Let us be ambassadors for the fight against tobacco." It was with these words that Dimitri Agoutsi, president of the Network of Communicators for the Fight against Smoking and Alcoholism in Schools and Universities (RECLTASU), opened the third edition of the training offered to Ivorian journalists to draw their attention to the damage caused by tobacco.[1].

Alert the population and raise awareness among decision-makers

From April 26 to 28, 2023, in a hotel in Dabou, thirty Ivorian journalists benefited from this training organized by RECLTASU, WHO and the National Program to Combat Tobacco, Alcoholism and Other Addictions (PNLTA). This WHO initiative relies on opinion leaders such as journalists to relay messages on the fight against tobacco to both the population and the public authorities.

"The media can thus be used not only to raise public awareness of the harm caused by tobacco and the tobacco industry, but also to build the foundations of public support for a broad anti-smoking campaign and thereby encourage leaders to put the issue of smoking on the government agenda.", said Koné Souleymane, the representative of the WHO director for the region[2].

Journalists, a prime target for tobacco manufacturers

Raising awareness among journalists about the different facets of tobacco is an essential aspect of the fight against tobacco. It helps to thwart the strategies of the tobacco industry, based on the instrumentalization of science and the systematic use of lies and confusion. Confusion is thus deliberately maintained by manufacturers, for example between electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco, or between snus and nicotine pouchesThe most flagrant example, widespread in the French press, is the confusion between illicit trade and purchases outside the tobacconist network, while the latter are essentially made up of completely legal cross-border purchases. Journalists also constitute precious relay for the tobacco industry, including in African countries, in order to raise awareness of the threat of smuggling and to curb increases in tobacco taxes. For example, in Benign, training workshops organized by the "legal tobacco industry" for magistrates, customs officers and police officers focused exclusively on illicit trade under the guise of participating in the fight against tobacco.

Keywords: Ivory Coast, journalists, WHO, awareness.

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[1] Gouza E, Fight against smoking: media professionals in training in Dabou, L'Infodrome, published on April 27, 2023, consulted on April 28, 2023.

[2] Bassole SB, Côte d'Ivoire-AIP/ WHO seeks contribution from media professionals to raise public awareness of the harm caused by tobacco, Ivorian Press Agency, published on April 27, 2023, consulted on April 28, 2023.