World No Tobacco Day 2020 awards: recognizing the tobacco control champions
WHO
31 May marks World No Tobacco Day, and in 2020 the focus will be on “protecting youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and nicotine use”. In addition to raising awareness of and building support for tobacco control, World No Tobacco Day offers an opportunity to recognize the achievements of tobacco control champions from around the world.
WHO gives the World No Tobacco Day awards every year to carefully selected individuals and/or organizations in recognition of their accomplishments in tobacco control and in the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
The awards recognize international achievements in the fight against the global tobacco epidemic and in the promotion of tobacco control initiatives and policies. They are awarded to individuals and institutions selected for their long-term commitment and outstanding contribution to research, advocacy, health promotion, capacity-building and other activities that promote and enforce tobacco control.
The following individuals and organizations in the WHO European Region are the recipients of this year’s World No Tobacco Day awards.
Armenia: Dr Arsen Torosyan, Minister of Health of Armenia
Dr Arsen Torosyan played a crucial role in coordinating the development of the new tobacco control law in Armenia and in overcoming obstacles in achieving its adoption. This achievement was attained despite criticism, existing legal barriers and a strong tobacco lobby. Dr Torosyan demonstrated persistent and courageous political leadership. This new law is a major step forward in protecting the health of people in Armenia, which currently has the second highest prevalence of tobacco smoking among adult males in the WHO European Region. The new law includes, among other measures: a ban on indoor smoking in all public places, workplaces and public transport; and a total ban on the advertisement and promotion of tobacco products.
Austria: VIVID - Institute for the Prevention of Addiction
VIVID - Institute for the Prevention of Addiction has played an important role at the national level: generating and sharing evidence, publishing opinion letters and attracting the attention of both policy-makers and the general public on the need to strengthen tobacco control measures in the country. The Institute’s work and advocacy activities have contributed to the adoption of stronger regulatory tobacco control measures by the Austrian Government. Over the years, VIVID has implemented tobacco prevention programmes in the state of Styria, focusing activities on awareness raising and the training of health professionals. The Institute has conducted more than 6000 workshops and seminars targeting different audiences in order to share knowledge and tools to prevent and control tobacco addiction. Furthermore, VIVID is engaged in various communication activities presenting the harmful effects of tobacco use and the manipulative techniques used by the tobacco industry.
Finland: Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Finland is recognized as one of the regional and global leaders in tobacco control, and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has been at the forefront of tobacco control work in the country. Under the leadership of the Ministry, the aim of the Tobacco Act was changed in 2010 from reducing tobacco use to ending tobacco use in Finland. Since 2016, the aim has been broadened to include other nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, and the implementation timeline has been changed from 2040 to 2030. This aim, recorded in the Tobacco Act, has made Finland one of a few countries globally that has committed to the vision of a tobacco-free generation in their legislation. To reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes, especially among young people, Finland strictly regulates them and introduced a ban on the use of flavours in e-cigarettes – one of the few countries globally which has introduced such policy measures.
Ireland: Limerick Comhairle (country-wide youth council)
Limerick Comhairle has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the WHO FCTC in Ireland through promoting a tobacco-free society and encouraging smoking cessation. They are the youth voice at the Towards a Tobacco-Free Limerick table, informing the key messages and process for a new initiative – “Not Around Us”. This initiative was launched in 2019 by Limerick City, County Council and Healthy Limerick in partnership with a range of other stakeholders. It promotes smoke-free environments and helps to denormalize smoking among youth. This commendable initiative has now been replicated in other counties in Ireland.
Republic of Moldova: Dr Ghenadie Turcanu, Program Coordinator, Center for Health Policies and Studies
As a representative of civil society, Dr Ghenadie Turcanu is a prominent leader of the tobacco control movement in the Republic of Moldova. Dr Turcanu has demonstrated excellent technical expertise and a strong advocacy spirit in supporting efforts to reduce tobacco use and promote comprehensive tobacco control policies in the country. He has been providing his expert opinion on legislative and regulatory tobacco control measures over a number of years, and thus has critically informed the debates on the topic at different levels within the government, Parliament and in society. As a result, the strong tobacco control law was adopted in 2015 and later amended in 2019 to include provisions on novel tobacco products. Furthermore, through his persistence, fearlessness and leadership, Dr Turcanu has united the public health community in the country with the aim to protect the tobacco control law from the tobacco industry lobby and its multiple attempts to weaken it.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK has played a leading role in advocating for comprehensive tobacco control across the United Kingdom and remains a leading advocate for innovative new tobacco control measures in the United Kingdom, including lobbying for a fixed charge on industry to fund tobacco control. It has been instrumental in building research capacity and evidence to support tobacco control policy through, for example, programme grants. Cancer Research UK plays an important international role as well, funding a range of research on tobacco control, especially to strengthen tobacco taxes in low- and middle-income countries, and is a major funder of the FCTC Knowledge Hub on tobacco taxation. Cancer Research UK has also been a main supporter and contributor to the global advocacy campaign for the adoption of the Global Strategy to Accelerate Tobacco Control by the WHO FCTC Parties.
