Tobacco Control Unit, in Collaboration with WHO, Engages FPAG on Tobacco Awareness Through Film

By Mariama Nyang

The Tobacco Control Unit under the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), on Friday, 18 September 2026, engaged the Film Producers Association of The Gambia (FPAG) in an effort to strengthen partnerships. The meeting focused particularly on issues related to film, television, digital content, and other forms of entertainment media, as well as their role in public awareness campaigns.
The orientation meeting was held in the Conference Hall at the Ocean Bay Hotel in Bakau.

This engagement marked the third meeting between FPAG and the Tobacco Control Unit as part of ongoing efforts to provide filmmakers with accurate and up-to-date information about tobacco, as well as to explore how film and other creative platforms can contribute to public health awareness.
WHO Highlights Tobacco-Related Risks and Emerging Products

A representative of the WHO delivered a detailed presentation on tobacco, its associated health risks, and developments within the tobacco and nicotine market.
The presentation emphasized the importance of understanding tobacco and its various forms before communicating awareness messages to the public. Participants were also introduced to examples of electronic devices and other products that may not immediately be recognized as tobacco- or nicotine-related.
Some of the devices presented were designed to resemble ordinary everyday items, including devices similar in appearance to flash drives.

The presentation highlighted the need for public awareness efforts to keep pace with developments in tobacco and nicotine products, particularly as newer devices may not be immediately recognized by the public as being associated with tobacco or nicotine use.
Filmmakers Urged to Use Their Platforms Responsibly
The Tobacco Control Unit's engagement with FPAG is based on the recognition of the influence of film and other entertainment media in shaping public awareness and perceptions.

Films, television productions, and digital content reach large audiences, including young people. The manner in which smoking or other forms of tobacco and nicotine use are portrayed can therefore influence how audiences perceive such behavior.
Filmmakers were encouraged not to advertise, promote, or sponsor tobacco products—as highlighted in the TCA 2016 and Regulations 2019—but instead to use their creative platforms to support public education and sensitization on the associated risks.

The engagement also underscored the importance of responsible storytelling, particularly when scenes involving tobacco or nicotine products form part of a production.
Impact Beyond the Individual User
The meeting further highlighted that tobacco use can have consequences beyond the individual consumer.
Exposure to tobacco smoke can affect people who do not smoke, including family members and others in the surrounding environment. Secondhand smoke was therefore identified as an important aspect of the broader tobacco-control and public-health discussion.

The financial implications of tobacco-related health problems were also discussed. The treatment and healthcare services required for tobacco-related illnesses place heavy demands on health-system resources, highlighting the broader social and economic impacts associated with tobacco use.
The Role of Film in Public Health Education
The meeting provided an opportunity to examine how filmmakers can translate public health information into accessible and relatable stories.
Through films, dramas, documentaries, short-form videos, and social media content, filmmakers can communicate health messages to audiences in ways that complement conventional public health campaigns.

For the film industry, the engagement highlighted the importance of ensuring that creative content does not unintentionally normalize or glamorize tobacco use, while encouraging filmmakers to consider opportunities to incorporate accurate tobacco-awareness messages into appropriate productions.

This third engagement between FPAG and the Tobacco Control Unit, with the participation of the WHO, reflects continued collaboration between the health and creative sectors on tobacco-control awareness in The Gambia.
The discussions also reinforced the importance of sustained public education, particularly as tobacco and nicotine products—and the ways in which they are presented to consumers—continue to evolve.

By combining public health expertise with the reach and storytelling capacity of the film industry, the stakeholders aim to strengthen tobacco-awareness efforts and contribute to a better-informed public.
Finally, I would like to thank the leadership of the Tobacco Control Unit and other relevant partners for this opportunity.