As indicated in FCTC Article 5 (see below), national tobacco control programmes are essential for planning and coordinating information and awareness-raising campaigns and for managing human and financial resources.
It is therefore important to include actions relating to Article 12 so that they form an integral part of the national tobacco control strategy. This also ensures that they are the subject of financial and human resources and that they are considered by the public authorities in place as essential, in the same way as the taxation of tobacco products or the ban on smoking in public places.
These elements can be incorporated into the national tobacco control strategy in varying degrees of detail:
- by stating the need for information and awareness campaigns
- by specifying the types of action to be taken (communication campaigns, integration of programmes in schools, etc.)
- by specifying the targets of these actions and their objectives
Elements that are specifically included in national or regional plans are more likely to be implemented.
Example of National Anti-Tobacco Porgrams
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France
Plan National de Lutte contre le Tabac 2018-2022 : https://sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/180702-pnlt_def.pdf (in French)
This plan defines 28 actions to be implemented over the 5 years, based on 4 priorities, 2 of which include actions linked to Article 12:
- Protecting our children and preventing them from taking up smoking
o Lever 1.1: Deploy new models of intervention
Action n°1: Promote validated psychosocial skills-building and peer support programmes
Action n°2 : Implement a sustainable communication strategy on tobacco adapted to young people
Action n°3 : Involve civil society in the fight against tobacco- Encourage and support smokers to stop smoking
o Lever 2.1: Improve access to treatment and care
Action n°11: Intensify anti-smoking social marketing 9
Action no. 12: Provide appropriate information to women at different stages of their lives about the risks associated with smoking.
Each action is then described in detail, highlighting the issues at stake and explaining what is to be achieved. -
Luxembourg
Plan national tabac https://untobaccocontrol.org/impldb/wp-content/uploads/reports/luxembourg_annex2_national_action_plan_2009.pdf (in French)
The actions relating to Article 12 are described on pages 18 to 21.
In this plan, smoking prevention is one of the 7 main strategic areas. Actions are proposed for each area, in a fairly comprehensive manner:
Repeated and continuous continuation of current initiatives:
- Organisation of systematic multimedia information and awareness campaigns coordinated at national level for the various target groups (young people, adult smokers, parents, etc.).
- Coordinate and evaluate, then adapt actions and find the necessary funding.
- Involve doctors and healthcare professionals more in prevention, information and awareness-raising initiatives.
- Commemorate special occasions such as the annual World No Tobacco Day (WHO),
- Ensure the availability of and access to information on tobacco (e.g. Infoline, Health Portal)
- Providing appropriate information and training materials and tools
- Offer specialised training in this area to health and care staff, teachers and educators;
- Ensuring local actions and activities in the field: integrating smoking prevention programmes into the school curriculum
- Issuing joint recommendations and bi-annual evaluations (e.g. recommendations for a smoke-free school from the ‘Schools without Tobacco’ network).
- Provide preventive education throughout the school system
- Involve young people, parents or families in tobacco prevention programmes in schools, youth centres, etc.
- Promote appropriate prevention programmes in companies and have occupational health services carry out regular assessments.
- Carry out systematic assessments.