The Aflofarm Foundation, as part of the Don't let your future go up in smoke campaign, has prepared an open letter addressed to all media in Poland. The purpose of the letter is to draw attention to the problem of cigarette placement in media coverage. According to the Foundation's experts, this has a major impact on youth choices. Statistics are alarming - every day in Poland, 500 teenagers begin to smoke and annually 180,000. new victims of addiction.

We have recently observed a disturbingly high number of publications that still show the characters smoking cigarettes. What's worse - in this type of media, the cigarette most often appears in a context that often encourages young people to try tobacco instead of discouraging them, according to a letter signed by Tomasz Furman, President of the Aflofarm Foundation Management Board.

The letter was sent to the heads of all major publishing houses and editorial offices in Poland. The Aflofarm Foundation draws attention to the fact that most creators do not realize how much the subliminal message affects young people:

Showing the image of people who smoke in the media is such a common practice that it seems quite natural. However, it is worth realizing that in this way you can subconsciously influence young people and encourage them to reach for a cigarette. That is why we call for attention to this problem, we read in the letter.

According to the estimates of the World Health Organization, about 9 million Poles are addicted to cigarettes. According to the WHO report, nearly half of Polish teenagers aged 13-15 have attempted to smoke.

The campaign "Don't let your future go up in smoke" promotes healthy lifestyle without dependence on cigarettes, which can significantly affect the development, health and life of young people. The nationwide campaign is being realized through television and radio spots, an educational film addressed to young viewers, a website and social media including Facebook. The Foundation has also prepared a campaign promotional spot, broadcast on television in January and February this year. The honorary patronage over the campaign was taken by the Minister of National Education, the Institute of National Health, Public Health and Hygiene Center, Oncology Center-Institute named after Maria Skłodowska-Curie in Warsaw and the State Sanitary Inspection.

The full text of the letter is available at: http://niespalsienastarcie.pl/assets/Uploads/Fundacja-Aflofarm-26-stycznia.pdf