A decision by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to ban any collaboration or partnerships between educational institutions under its jurisdiction and the tobacco industry was the right move, a local NGO said.

In a press release on March 29, Cambodia Movement for Health (CMH) said this will help curb the promotion of tobacco products in the country.

CMH said the so-called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme initiated by the tobacco industry was intended to promote tobacco products and a form of marketing exploitation.

“Providing places in public and private institutions to promote or exhibit programmes sponsored by the tobacco industry is now prohibited. This instruction is participation in implementing the [UN] Convention on Tobacco Control,” it said.

CMH executive director Dr Mom Kong told The Post on March 29 that the tobacco industry has used CSR strategies to build relationships with decision-makers, influencing their policy preparation while all the while promoting its own image.

He added that the tobacco industry also used social events to build trust, gain profit and prevent health protection policy through partnerships with educational institutions across the country.

“Many research documents show that even though activities arranged by the tobacco industry are generous, they all have a marketing purpose. The business only aims to sell their products easily. They want children and youth to know their products,” he said.

Article 5.3 of the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control states that public health and the tobacco industry have conflict of interests that cannot be reconciled.

The tobacco companies, it said, produce and promote tobacco products that have been scientifically discovered to cause health and social problems, including poverty.