Regular readers know that although we are a U.S. health policy blog, every once in a while we do venture into global health. So when those kind folks over at the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids e-mailed us a link to an article entitled "INDONESIA: This Volcano Brought to You By Philip Morris," we couldn't resist sharing.
Now there is nothing intrinsically wrong with an Indonesian subsidiary of Philip Morris helping victims of Mount Merapi, setting up a camp, and providing medical care. We're all for humanitarian service. But, as some of the Indonesians quoted in this article pointed out, couldn't they do it without the corporate logos all over? Including the name of the rescue camp itself?
Why can’t they just do the good stuff, but without the advertising?” asked 18-year-old Anin, who like many Indonesians only uses one name and who was volunteering at an evacuation camp opposite the Sampoerna camp in her home village of Harjobinangung. “Why can’t they just use plain white vehicles or something?”
We probably asked similar questions when we were 18.
In case you are wondering, the camp itself is a no smoking zone.
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