Ghana: Anti-Tabacco initiative targeting girls, launched by Now Available Africa agency

Advertising agency Now Available Africa launched a campaign, using creativity to address tobacco menace in Ghana, especially when it comes of girls.

‘SKY Girls’ is a movement by girls, for girls designed to strip the aspiration out of smoking and contribute to a confident and resilient generation of young women. This behavior change program is currently the biggest teen movement, involving over 30,000 girls.  The initiative is part of a global anti-tobacco program led by UK consultancy Good Business and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In Ghana, Now Available Africa, a leading Pan African advertising agency based in Accra, has been appointed to develop an exciting and impactful program tailored to the unique needs and interests of teenage girls in Ghana.

Ghana has traditionally had one of the lowest rates of tobacco use in Africa. However things are changing. While just 0.2% of adult women smoke, according to the latest Global Tobacco Survey 10.6% of girls aged 13-15 currently use some form of tobacco product. Meanwhile, shisha is being heavily marketed as the cool and sophisticated habit of the young.

This pattern is reflected in other African countries and the Gates Foundation has been working with Good Business to develop a program to address this potential epidemic. SKY was first launched in Botswana four years ago. SKY promotes its smoke-free message in the context of the things that teens care about – fashion, friends and music. Everyone knows that teens hate to be told what to do, and research demonstrated that girls don’t want to smoke, but feel under pressure to try. SKY encourages girls to be clear on their values and then supports them in staying true to themselves, including their wish to stay clear of smoking.

Now Available Africa are bringing SKY to life in Ghana through a series of events, a radio show on YFM 107.9 every Saturday at 3pm, a quarterly magazine and on social media (@skygirlsgh). SKY GH has the support of the Ghana Education Service and the Christian Council in Accra.

Founded in 2013, Now Available Africa works in both Anglophone and Francophone west Africa. Now Available Africa is owned for 51% by the italian advertising agency The Big Now