Huffing and puffing over tobacco aid to Project Hope schools
By admin on 2014-12-26

Seventeen primary schools of Project Hope were accused of promoting tobacco companies in the past few days by naming schools after some tobacco companies.

Most of these schools bear the character "tobacco" including Sichuan Tobacco and Anhui Tobacco Hope primary schools while others use some actual brands to name their schools including Zhongnanhai Love and Hongta Hope primary schools.

Slogans such as "tobacco company helps you in your growth" are found on some campuses, Beijing Youth Daily reported Monday.

Representatives from tobacco companies said they are doing the right thing by fulfilling their social responsibility while experts fighting to manage the use of tobacco didn't agree.

Some are worried that naming schools after tobacco companies could influence children's attitude about smoking.

Tobacco is known a leading cause of cancer and the continuing gradual effects of ads on students will mislead them to think that smoking is not a big deal, said Liu Zhengchen of a Beijing-based charity foundation. He added that most charity foundations should be cautious about accepting donations from tobacco companies though the concept of charity or corporate social responsibility should be encouraged.

"In addition, many rural schools of Project Hope are empty, as kids in villages nowadays, more often than not, are sent to county or township center schools for education," Liu told the Global Times Monday.

Zhongnanhai Love Charity Foundation, which was set up by Beijing Donation Center of Project Hope with funds from Beijing Cigarette Factory, has sponsored some Project Hope schools, which were named after Zhongnanhai, one of the brands produced by the cigarette factory.