Behind the red brown cigarettes packs

A young seller, Sann KO stepped up to the upper deck of boat with a pleasant smile. He had sold a number of his cigarettes to the passengers on the Yangon- Dala (a small town opposite side of Yangon) ferryboat.
‘It is great! Three London (popular cigarettes brand in Myanmar) cigarette packs and one pack of tissue paper are sold before afternoon,’ San Ko whispered himself with joy. Some peppermint candies, chewing gums, colored tissue packs were in the plastic baskets orderly. It also could be seen Thai made inhalants and the lemon flake bottles.
Among them, his No. 1 selling items are London and Vailant cigarettes. San Ko had to earn his daily income from selling these cigarettes. He estimated that he could get net income 400 kyat (nearly 40 cent) if he had sold one cigarette pack. He had to earn his living 1500 kyat by selling two valiant cigarettes packs and one London cigarette pack.
Not only Sann KO, other boys on the ferryboats are earning their daily income by selling the cigarettes.
In Myanmar, it has started last month may, the government enacted the tobacco control law said one of the officer of non-smoking project, ministry of health. According to this law, youth whose age not over 18 years prohibited selling cigarettes .As a child who breaking law may be imposed a fine amount to 10,000 kyat that fine may be imposed on him or his guardian.
However, the cigarettes are available every places of Yangon city area.
“My mom told me sell cigarettes carefully. If someone tries to arrest me, throw the packs,’ said a young seller.
Though police do not arrest him until now, the crews from ferryboat often drive them away from boat. Yangon- Dali ferryboat carries 59000 passengers per day and the ferry fare is just only 20 kyat.
2.5millions of world population died every year because of smoking. World Health Organization warned that the number of people who was died because of smoking could reach 10 millions in coming 2020.
Though we made education of smoking is dangerous for our health, the number of smoking is still growing .The market does not depend on the retail seller like Sann Ko, its market depend on the production of industries. The profit of trading makes more incentives to the producers.
The statistics showed 1.6% of world population is smokers and 800 millions people are from the Developing countries. Myanmar Ministry of health announced 31% of Myanmar citizens are smoking among 56.5millions of Myanmar population
The advertising of cigarettes are limited in Myanmar Radio and Television since 1997and non- smoking areas are extended to education centre, health centre and stadiums. At the beginning of 2003, the government ordered the advertising of cigarettes not to put in printed media.
Among the 129menber countries, Myanmar is eleventh country, which enacted the controlling of smoking law .Last month Myanmar news papers urged to enable more effective and speedy investigation to expose and take action against the law.
Sann KO, who is wearing pale white shirt and grey green short pink, told that he could earn the net income between 500 kyat and 1000 kyat by selling cigarettes.
“The selling of Valiant brand cigarettes is better than London cigarette. A valiant brand cigarette per tube costs 40 kyat in retail and it is cheaper than London brand”, said the cigarettes seller.
Even he got net income 1000 kyat per day from selling cigarettes, San Ko admitted that he felt guilty because that sort of earning, it is not good for health.
.But it is an easy earning for him to support his family for 13cyears old street children. Some observers analyzed the comparison of the push factor and the pull factor, the pull factor is stronger because of profits. They said if government could expand the non- smoking zone to the ferryboats, which several hundred people every day take due to Tobacco law, the exact result, might come out.

If San Ko could not earn income by cigarettes selling, it might be problem for his family living.
However, he could not be cigarettes seller for the whole life. Push factor force him to earn income for family by using different ways.
An NGO officer who works for reducing of smoking in Myanmar advised the broadcasting of radio and television shows and the micro finance programs to the poor families would enhance both the knowledge and support their basic needs.
The educators need to educate more cigarette seller as San KO about smoking can short our life expectancy rate. They have to count the conflicts between health and poverty of poor family like San Ko.
San Ko told that he dose not sell the cigarettes to a child at same age with him. He added that knows the smoking is very dangerous to health.” Young beggars from boat try to buy cigarettes from me. However, I will not sell cigarettes to them because it is not good for their health,’’ he said.
It is after noon. The sky become very cloudy .The wind from the south-west is blazing. San KO decided to go home if he sells cigarettes worth 1000 kyat. At the time Yangon –Dala ferryboat is going to approach the jetty of Dala town ship.
“If authorities try to arrest me while I am selling, I will throw the packs, but I won’t give it up,” said young cigarette seller.