Stars share out underpants with anti-tobacco messages

Non-smoking stars together with volunteers of the Resource Center “Young and Free” distributed Saturday anti-tobacco leaflets to the visitors of a trading center in Chisinau. The action formed part of the World No Tobacco Day celebrated on May 31. Singers Dana Marchitan and Cezara wore short skirts, high heels and large bags with the message “We Do Not Spend Money on Cigarettes, We Do the Shopping”. Alongside the volunteers, they dealt out informative materials in the form of underpants from cardboard among the men. The underpants carried the message “Smoking Causes Impotence”. Antonita Fonari, director of the Center “Young and Free”, has told Info-Prim Neo that the messages transmitted this way have a greater impact than the books speaking about the danger of smoking. “Any man cares about his health.” The men volunteers offered the women flowers and funny flags with the words “Smoking Causes Unpleasant Smell in the Mouth.” “The people were amused. We gave our messages to one or two persons that were smoking and they felt uncomfortable,” Antonita Fonari said. She also said that more funny and recreational activities will be carried out next week, also involving stars that would convince the people to give up smoking. The volunteers of the Center intend to launch real underwear with anti-smoking messages. The messages will be shocking and tough because the people should know what the effects of smoking are, Fonari said. According to the deputy chief doctor of the National Narcological Dispensary Mihai Oprea, the number of smoking women has slightly decreased this year. The smokers make up 60-65% of the Moldovan population - 40-45% men and 20-25% women. One tenth of the smokers started to smoke at the age of 10. The boys start smoking at an early age, while the girls when they come of age and when they enter the university, Mihai Oprea said.