Cambodia: NGO launches campaign against sale of alcohol and cigarettes to minors

As part of efforts to reduce school dropout rates and improve public health, an NGO in Battambang, Cambodia, Great Peace Cambodia (GPC), has initiated a community campaign to enforce the ban on the sale of alcohol and cigarettes to minors, particularly in rural areas. While the sale of tobacco products to under-18s has been banned in Cambodia since 2015, the law remains unenforced, particularly in rural areas.

Cambodia has an estimated 1.6 million smokers among the population aged 15 years and above. In 2015, an estimated 40% of males were smokers, and in 2017 an estimated 3.6% of all adolescents (13-15 years) were tobacco users, with a higher prevalence among boys than girls.[1] Although the rate of smokers in the general population has decreased somewhat, by 4% between 2014 and 2022, there is a gap between urban and rural dwellers and, as a result, greater financial pressure for these people.[2]

A ban on sales to minors that remains unenforced

The Government of Cambodia ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on 15 November 2005. In 2015, a national tobacco control law was adopted and although it introduces strong tobacco control measures, such as a complete ban on tobacco advertising, a ban on smoking in public places, a ban on the sale of tobacco to minors under 18, the introduction of graphic health warnings, and a ban on the sale of tobacco in vending machines, enforcement of some measures, including the ban on sales to minors, remains insufficient.

Tobacco products remain particularly accessible to minors in rural areas where national legislation is unknown and compliance controls are non-existent.

Moreover, cigarettes remain cheap and widely available, partly because of relatively low taxes on tobacco products, making Cambodia the second most affordable country in Southeast Asia after Laos. A retail pack of 20 cigarettes in Cambodia is currently taxed at 25% for domestic brands, and 31.1% for imported brands. This taxatop level is significantly lower than the WHO recommended 75%.

A local voluntary initiative for a global problem

In response to these findings, an NGO in Battambang, Cambodia, Great Peace Cambodia (GPC), has launched a campaign aimed at enforcing protective prohibitions on the sale of alcohol and cigarettes to minors. In addition, there is an awareness-raising component aimed at schoolchildren on the risks associated with these products.

The campaign kicked off with an inaugural ceremony, where eleven stores near target schools in Battambang city and Bavel district pledged to respect the ban on the sale of alcohol or cigarettes to youth under 18.[3] Before the project was launched, surveys indicated that 20,000 of the city's youth consumed alcohol or smoked.

Kong Ponleu, head of GPC's education programs, said the director of the Battambang Department of Education, Youth and Sports had expressed interest in expanding the project to the entire province, requiring careful planning and coordination with provincial leaders and education authorities.

" We observed that, in addition to socio-economic factors, personal problems, including cigarette and alcohol use, contribute to worsening school dropout rates. ", said Kong Ponleu. By collaborating with merchants near schools, the aim is to create a safer and healthier environment for students.

Ponleu stressed that the government had been active in health and education.

Yong Kim Eng, president of the Center for People's Development and Peace, praised the Battambang initiative but stressed the need for stricter enforcement and recalled the limits of this initiative, which remains voluntary. To be truly effective, general regulations with regular checks on compliance with the ban on sales to minors must be put in place.

The move comes as a State of Youth Report, funded by UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP and UNAIDS, revealed that while 97% of young people are aware of the dangers of alcohol and tobacco use, 22% still consume alcohol and 5% of men aged 15-24 smoke cigarettes. The report also highlighted the need for more effective public policies and intervention strategies to reduce these risky behaviours.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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