FCTC

Os prêmios do Dia Mundial Sem Tabaco de 2021 nas Américas foram concedidos a três instituições da Costa Rica, ministérios da Saúde de Santa Lúcia e Paraguai, Fundo Nacional de Recursos do Uruguai, duas cidades da Califórnia e uma médica brasileira. O prêmio foi entregue a Tania Cavalcante, oncologista do Instituto Nacional do Câncer e secretária executiva do Comitê Nacional para a Implementação da Convenção-Quadro para o Controle do Tabaco no Brasil. Ela o recebeu por sua contribuição ao longo da vida para uma política de controle do tabaco eficaz no Brasil e por seu trabalho de impacto global na implementação da Convenção-Quadro da OMS para o Controle do Tabaco (CQCT). Cavalcante também tem sido fundamental para facilitar o intercâmbio de experiências entre os países no controle do tabagismo na América Latina e entre os países de língua portuguesa.

STOP (Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products) has been producing a regular COVID-19 Monitoring Brief detailing the trends and patterns of tobacco industry behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. These documents cover corporate social responsibility, policy interference, legal challenges, tobacco worker neglect, influencing the science of smoking/COVID-19, brand marketing and more. You can find these briefings in the resources section (section 8) at the bottom of this page. Editions 11 onwards include Arabic (عربى), Spanish (Español) and French (Francais) language translations. 

Fact sheets with topics considered prominent in order to promote debates and decision-making in the scope of tobacco control. In this edition, the following points are presented: proposal of the Ministry of Justice opposes the Framework Convention; Paraguay to Host Pre-Conference of Parties - COP9; representatives of the tobacco industry seek support from the Ministry of Agriculture; FDA wants new regulation for electronic cigarettes.

Background: The tobacco industry works to block, delay and weaken national tobacco control legislation to implement the FCTC. This paper reviews how Nepal overcame industry opposition and to a comprehensive tobacco control law implementing the FCTC.

Methods: We triangulated newspaper articles and policy documents with key informant interviews.

Results: With the support of international health groups, local tobacco control advocates worked with policymakers in Nepal to pass a comprehensive tobacco control law that exceeded FCTC obligations. The tobacco industry exploited a time of political transition to block consideration by Parliament, arranged and sponsored foreign tours for legislators, made death threats to tobacco control advocates and their families, and argued for the economic importance of tobacco farms. Despite strong interference from Health, and Law and Justice ministers, a 2009 Supreme Court ruling helped tobacco control advocates secure a comprehensive tobacco control law in 2011 that included rotating pictorial health warning labels covering 75% of both sides of cigarette packages, 100% smoke free public places and workplaces, private homes and vehicles, and a tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship ban.

Conclusions: Advocates in developing countries should utilize Nepal's experience to reject tobacco industry offers of compromise and continue educating politicians and legislators to generate political support to pass a comprehensive tobacco control law. Technical and financial support from international agencies, and effective collaboration and coordination of civil societies, and utilization of domestic litigation are helpful in LMICs where governance is weak.

Implications: The tobacco industry exploited a time of political transition in Nepal in its effort to block comprehensive tobacco control policy in Parliament by sponsoring foreign tours of legislatures, making death threats to tobacco control advocates and their families, and arguing for the economic importance of tobacco farms. Tobacco control advocates used litigation to raise awareness and educate legislators, and promote strong legislation with the involvement of international health groups. Technical and financial support from international agencies, and effective collaboration and coordination of civil societies, and utilization of domestic litigation are helpful in LMICs where governance is weak.