I've been walking around the fly-over filled outer ring of Bangalore these days and all I see is people spitting unceremoniously on the pavement, on dirt roads, into water puddles and almost anywhere and everywhere. And to my chagrin, even educated folks flaunting branded hi-end fashion apparel walk out of malls, only to spit outside on the road. The situation is really, really awful.
Spitting in public places is as bad a health hazard as smoking in public, I guess. According to website SpitfreeIndia , spitting spreads swine flu, tuberculosis, pneumonia and gastro-intestinal diseases. The Indian Railways, I believe, spends about Rs. 1.5 crores every year in cleaning and scrubbing the spit marks, every year. I think there is even a law that prohibits people from spitting in public places but I don't see it being implemented anywhere.
The need of the hour is awareness - people need to be educated about keeping their environs clean - for their own well-being and that of others around them. And this got me thinking that corporates (especially those marketing healthcare and hygeine products) could run a 'anti-spitting' multimedia campaign that could raise awareness about this social menace. Very similar to the 'Save the Tiger' campaign by Aircel that tactfully used celebrites and social media to awaken a sleeping nation to witness the sad plight of its national animal. I guess, an anti-spitting campaign should start with a more grassroots approach and then go on to embrace mass media and Web 2.0 technologies. Even NGOs could be pooled in to reach the masses on a more door-to-door level.
I feel corporates should seriously think about it. Not only will such a campaign give their company and their brands tremendous mileage and top-of-the-mental basket recall, it may also improve social consiousness. With increasing awareness, people might actually refrain from spitting, thereby making our roads a lot cleaner and our lives much healthier.
Well, corporates, what say ye?
Spitting in public places is as bad a health hazard as smoking in public, I guess. According to website SpitfreeIndia , spitting spreads swine flu, tuberculosis, pneumonia and gastro-intestinal diseases. The Indian Railways, I believe, spends about Rs. 1.5 crores every year in cleaning and scrubbing the spit marks, every year. I think there is even a law that prohibits people from spitting in public places but I don't see it being implemented anywhere.
The need of the hour is awareness - people need to be educated about keeping their environs clean - for their own well-being and that of others around them. And this got me thinking that corporates (especially those marketing healthcare and hygeine products) could run a 'anti-spitting' multimedia campaign that could raise awareness about this social menace. Very similar to the 'Save the Tiger' campaign by Aircel that tactfully used celebrites and social media to awaken a sleeping nation to witness the sad plight of its national animal. I guess, an anti-spitting campaign should start with a more grassroots approach and then go on to embrace mass media and Web 2.0 technologies. Even NGOs could be pooled in to reach the masses on a more door-to-door level.
I feel corporates should seriously think about it. Not only will such a campaign give their company and their brands tremendous mileage and top-of-the-mental basket recall, it may also improve social consiousness. With increasing awareness, people might actually refrain from spitting, thereby making our roads a lot cleaner and our lives much healthier.
Well, corporates, what say ye?
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