Implementation Of Framework Convention On Tobacco Control Research Articles

Implementation and Research Priorities for FCTC Articles 13 and 16: Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship and Sales to and by Minors

Article 13 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) calls for a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS), and Article 16 calls for prohibition of tobacco sales to and by minors. Although these mandates are based on sound science, many countries have found provision implementation to be rife with challenges. This paper reviews the history of tobacco marketing and minor access restrictions in high-, middle-, and low-income countries, identifying past challenges and successes. We consider current challenges to FCTC implementation, how these barriers can be addressed, and what research is necessary to support such efforts. Specifically, we identify implementation and research priorities for FCTC Articles 13 and 16. Although a solid evidence base underpins the FCTC's call for TAPS bans and minor access restrictions, we know substantially less about how best to implement these restrictions. Drawing on the regulatory experiences of high-, middle-, and low-income countries, we discern several implementation and research priorities, which are organized into 4 categories: policy enactment and enforcement, human capital expertise, the effects of FCTC marketing and youth access policies, and knowledge exchange and transfer among signatories. Future research should provide detailed case studies on implementation successes and failures, as well as insights into how knowledge of successful restrictions can be translated into tobacco control policy and practice and shared among different stakeholders. Tobacco marketing surveillance, sales-to-minors compliance checks, enforcement and evaluation of restriction policies, and capacity building and knowledge transfer are likely to prove central to effective implementation.

El control del tabaco, estrategia esencial para reducir las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles

Nearly two-thirds of all deaths globally are caused by noncommunicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases and diabetes). The UN General Assembly approved Political Declaration of the High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of non communicable diseases and recommending five priority interventions: 1. Tobacco control (the most urgent and immediate), 2. Salt reduction, 3. Improved diet and physical activity, 4 Reduction of hazardous alcohol intake, 5. Access to essential drugs and technologies. The Assembly recognizes the fundamental conflict of interest between tobacco industry and public health and recommends the implementation of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and MPOWER strategies. The full implementation of FCTC could prevent 5.5 Million of death in the next 10 years in low and middle income countries. All these recommendations are feasible to implement considering the willingness of Governments, the infrastructure available, the capacity building existing and the participation of all sectors, including civil society and the community as a whole.

Four COPs and counting: achievements, underachievements and looming challenges in the early life of the WHO FCTC Conference of the Parties

As the governing body of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the Conference of the Parties (COP) is mandated to ‘keep under regular review the implementation of the...

Implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Africa: Current Status of Legislation

ObjectiveTo describe, as of July 2011, the status of tobacco control legislation in Africa in three key areas of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)—(1) Protection from exposure to tobacco smoke, (2) Packaging and labelling of tobacco products, and (3) Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.MethodsReview and analysis of tobacco control legislation in Africa, media reports, journal articles, tobacco industry documents and data published in the 2011 WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic.ResultsModest progress in FCTC implementation in Africa with many countries having legislation or policies on the protection from exposure to tobacco smoke, however, only a handful of countries meet the standards of the FCTC Article 8 and its Guidelines particularly with regards to designated smoking areas. Little progress on packaging and labelling of tobacco products, with few countries having legislation meeting the minimum standards of the FCTC Article 11 and its Guidelines. Mauritius is the only African country with graphic or pictorial health warnings in place and has the largest warning labels in Africa. Slightly better progress in banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship has been shown by African countries, although the majority of legislation falls short of the standards of the FCTC Article 13 and its Guidelines. Despite their efforts, African countries’ FCTC implementation at national level has not matched the strong regional commitment demonstrated during the FCTC treaty negotiations.ConclusionThis study highlights the need for Africa to step up efforts to adopt and implement effective tobacco control legislation that is fully compliant with the FCTC. In order to achieve this, countries should prioritise resources for capacity building for drafting strong FCTC compliant legislation, research to inform policy and boost political will, and countering the tobacco industry which is a major obstacle to FCTC implementation in Africa.

Translating the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC): Can we use tobacco control as a model for other non-communicable disease control?

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the world today. Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths will increase to more than eight million per year by 2030. Galvanized by the seriousness of the threat, the Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) negotiated the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), which entered into force in 2005. The treaty has enjoyed tremendous global success, with more than 170 Parties, and is often called the most powerful tool in the fight against tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. As the world undergoes the long-predicted transition from communicable to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) posing the greater health burden, seminal ideas, processes, and outcomes like the WHO FCTC can be used to inform decision-making and policy-making. To help begin such knowledge transfer, this paper first examines how tobacco control evolved to become a reasonable, politically feasible topic for treating in the highly globalized context of public health and NCDs. Next, some of the key achievements and challenges that have occurred over the past six years of WHO FCTC implementation are discussed. Finally, a consideration of how some of the successes and lessons learned in tobacco control appear in other NCD contexts is presented.

Opportunities and risks of the proposed FCTC protocol on illicit trade

Illicit trade in tobacco products presents a threat to public health because it undermines the use of tax and price policies, which are among the most effective mechanisms for reducing...

Conflict of interest and FCTC implementation in China

ObjectiveTo critically review the structure of tobacco control policy making in China, examine conflicts of interest within this structure, and consider how these affected the introduction of on-pack warnings.MethodsGovernment policy...

Implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in mainland China

As per China's ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), it should have implemented effective packaging and labelling measures prior to 9 January 2009 and enacted a...

Follow the money: How the billions of dollars that flow from smokers in poor nations to companies in rich nations greatly exceed funding for global tobacco control and what might be done about it

The business of selling cigarettes is increasingly concentrated in the hands of five tobacco companies that collectively control almost 90% of the world's cigarette market, four of which are publicly...

Commentary on Hanewinkel et al. (2010): Anti‐smoking advertisments vaccinate movie viewers against effects of on‐screen smoking

Commentary on Hanewinkel <i>et al</i>. (2010): Anti‐smoking advertisments vaccinate movie viewers against effects of on‐screen smoking

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control as a tool for advancing health promotion: perspective from the Eastern Mediterranean Region

The paper addresses the impact of the adoption and implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, and how successful the FCTC is as a tool for health promotion. The FCTC implementation has impacted areas such as surveillance systems for tobacco control, increasing political commitment, development of legislation and addressing new social norms in tobacco consumption. These developments help to overcome many challenges for better health promotion in the region. However, there are still other challenges such as the tobacco industry influence, but those challenges will not undermine the gains already achieved through both the negotiation process and implementation process of the FCTC. In conclusion, implementation of the FCTC has contributed positively to advancing health promotion in the region, and the continuation of strong implementation will lead to even better outcomes.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and health promotion: strengthening the ties

Successful tobacco control efforts in developed countries have provided an illustration of the application of health promotion principles, most notably the critical value of social mobilization for change and use of comprehensive health promotion strategies. Tobacco control efforts in developed countries are now starting to grapple with the challenge of closing the health equity gap. In developed countries, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), though derived from a global social movement, is facing challenges in implementation because of relatively little support from the population as a whole, along with weak government infrastructure. Furthermore, developing countries are often more concerned about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and access to primary health care, not to mention poverty alleviation in general, than tobacco use and non-communicable diseases. Health promotion and the FCTC have shared interests in relation to both health equity and capacity building. Therefore, a civil society coalition built around these common interests--and broader issues--may provide a stronger support for FCTC implementation. Strengthening the ties between health promotion and the FCTC could lead to stronger advocacy, better knowledge management systems, more integrated community-based programs, and stronger workforce capacity. These, in turn, could reduce tobacco smoking and other risks to health, as well as help close the health equity gap in developed and developing countries.

Predictors of Women's Attitudes Toward World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Policies in Urban China

In 2005 China ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and committed to implement tobacco control legislation and policies. Wide variation in smoking prevalence between men and women in China and the high exposure of women to secondhand smoke suggest that each component of the FCTC should be analyzed from a gender perspective. This study describes women's attitudes toward and predictors of support for four key FCTC measures in China. Cross-sectional data were collected from 1,408 women in two urban cities on demographics, smoking behavior, and attitudes toward key tobacco control measures. Seventy percent of the study women (n = 1,408) were exposed to secondhand smoke at home, work, or other public places. Support for the four FCTC measures of interest was as follows: 92.5% supported banning smoking in public places, 79.2% supported increasing the cigarette tax, 92% supported stronger health warnings on cigarette packages, and 87.1% favored banning tobacco advertising. The predictors for supporting each of these measures included socioeconomic, attitudinal, and behavioral factors. Urban Chinese women appear to support implementation of key WHO FCTC measures. Predictors of women's attitudes toward the key FCTC measures varied. The formulation process resulting from the tobacco control policy should consider these women-specific predictors in order to facilitate successful implementation of FCTC.

Status of implementation of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in Ghana: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a World Health Organization treaty, has now been ratified by over 165 countries. However there are concerns that implementing the Articles of the treaty may prove difficult, particularly in the developing world. In this study we have used qualitative methods to explore the extent to which the FCTC has been implemented in Ghana, a developing country that was 39th to ratify the FCTC, and identify barriers to effective FCTC implementation in low income countries.MethodsSemi-structured interviews with 20 members of the national steering committee for tobacco control in Ghana, the official multi-disciplinary team with responsibility for tobacco control advocacy and policy formulation, were conducted. The Framework method for analysis and NVivo software were used to identify key issues relating to the awareness of the FCTC and the key challenges and achievements in Ghana to date.ResultsInterviewees had good knowledge of the content of the FCTC, and reported that although Ghana had no explicitly written policy on tobacco control, the Ministry of Health had issued several tobacco control directives before and since ratification. A national tobacco control bill has been drafted but has not been implemented. Challenges identified included the absence of a legal framework for implementing the FCTC, and a lack of adequate resources and prioritisation of tobacco control efforts, leading to slow implementation of the treaty.ConclusionWhilst Ghana has ratified the FCTC, there is an urgent need for action to pass a national tobacco control bill into law to enable it to implement the treaty, sustain tobacco control efforts and prevent Ghana's further involvement in the global tobacco epidemic.

Tobacco smoking prevalence among in-school adolescents aged 13-15 years: baseline for evaluation of the implementation of the FCTC in Lusaka district, Zambia

Background: Tobacco use is a major public health concern worldwide. Zambia has been controlling tobacco use in terms of legislative interventions, and acceding to the World Health organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The study was aimed to determine the baseline prevalence of current smoking to be used in the evaluation of the implementation of the WHO FCTC. Methods: Survey data from the 2002 and 2007 Global Youth Tobacco Surveys (GYTS) were used to estimate the prevalence of tobacco use. The standard protocol for GYTS was used in the surveys, and only data for students aged 13 to 15 years was used in the analysis. Data were analyzed using SUDAAN (Research Triangle institute), and SPSS (version 11.5) software packages. Weighted analysis was used to produce estimates together with their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The current cigarette smokers were 9.2% in 2002 and 6.8% in 2007 (p>0.05), with an overall rate of 7.4% (95%CI [7.1, 7.7]). No significant difference in current cigarette smoking rates was observed between sexes. However, compared to students of age 15 years, those of ages 13 and 14 years were less likely to be current smokers (AOR=0.82, 95%CI [0.77, 0.88]) for 13 years, and AOR=0.90, 95%CI [0.85, 0.96] for 14 years). Conclusion: The results of this study show that Lusaka district is in the first stage of the tobacco epidemic. There is urgent need, guided by the WHO FCTC, for effective interventions to be put in place before the epidemic becomes unmanageable.

La función de la Oficina Nacional para el Control del Tabaco en México

Tobacco smoking as the first cause of preventable dead in the world requires the implementation of proper public policies. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) sets the basis for this purpose at the national level. But the successful implementation of FCTC depends on a series of actions of every single member of the convention for the development of National Capacity. Building capacity implies the construction of human resources and organizational engineering or "institutional building" in order to enforce and guarantee the Plan of Action for the implementation of FCTC. The creation of the National Office for Tobacco Control of México will allow the enforcement of Mexican government initiatives on implementation of policies for tobacco control, according with FCTC on a sustainable and permanent platform. This essay presents the importance on the office, their main functions and their medium and long term objectives.