Tobacco Control

Lessons learnt from field

Tara Singh Bam Regional Advisor
The Union Asia Pacific Office, Singapore
Email: tsbam@theunion.org

The Tobacco Epidemic Worsening...

Unless We Act Now

World Health Organization. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2008

The Leading Preventable Cause of Death in

the World

World Health Organization. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2008

World Cigarette consumption- 2009

Nearly 5.9 trillion cigarette consumed

About 800 million adult men

worldwide smoke cigarette
(20% in high income and 80%
in low income countries)
Nearly 200 million adult
women worldwide smoke
cigarette

World cigarette consumption by region, 2009

Todays teenager is tomorrows potential regular customer Philip Morris USA 1981

Tobacco industry marketing campaigns

targeting youth and children

Tobacco industry tactics

Smoke-Free Indonesian Cities

2008

Limited smokefree
policy, allowing
designated smoking
areas

Neighboring country

2014

100% smokefree
policy
Neighboring country

6 provinces and 22 cities and districts with comprehensive (100% SF) SF policy.
They cover about 56 million population

Indonesia- Smoke-free Laws reduce indoor air pollution

Mean Concentrations of PM2.5

Mean Concentrations of PM2.5 in Buildings in Bogor

Reducing indoor air pollution due to tobacco
smoke by banning tobacco smoke in all indoor
public places and work places

The use of ventilation, filtration, and designated smoking areas do not protect the
public from the harms of secondhand smoke

Pictorial health warning in Indonesia

Text to pictorial health warning - 2014

How Tobacco trade

fair was stopped in
Bali, Indonesialessons learned
Authority- Governor
Governor statementThere is no space in Bali
you (TI) go to Hell

Tobacco free world

Bali successes encouraged
MOH circulated a letter to ban tobacco fair
Provincial government of Jakarta banned
World Tobacco Asia Sep. 2014

Goal- Tobacco Free Bali

Reviewed each activity at

the end to figure out what
went well.
Engaged people beyond health
Human Rights Commission
Muhammadiyah, NU
Bali Hotel Association
MOH
Child Protection agencies
ASEAN countries
OIC / global partners

Local actionsdissemination of local

Data, smoke-free law
press meet, social media
Letter of attention to
Governor, mobilize student

Positive attitudes

Learning from experience

Providing feedback

Dortmund had planned to hold the trade

fair Inter-tabac ASIA 27-28 Feb. 2014 in
TargetBan Inter-tabac
Asiathe
2014
Bali.
The company
had obtained
required permits from Indonesian
Ministry of Industry and Trade. Despites
this, the trade fair must now be
postponed. The Police of Bali have
instructed this in writing
Responsibility but not authority
Udayana University, Bali-

Engaging others

Thinking systematically

Establishing target/goal
How to lead When you
are not the boss?

converting the challenges into Opportunities - Change toward tobacco free

Mayors and Regents Alliance for Tobacco and NCD

control Indonesia -2011
Mayors Alliance to
Adopt and implement 100% smoke-free policy
Ban tobacco advertisements, promotion and
sponsorship
Advocacy for ratification of FCTC and tobacco
control law
Stop and discourage tobacco industry
interferences

Some examples from Myanmar

Myanmar- Measuring indoor air (PM2.5) in smoking and

non-smoking restaurants in Mandalay
Caf City Mandalay- smoking

Caf Corner Mandalay

Complete ban of smoking in indoor

Average level 175.6

Average level 21.7

Fine particle levels in this location are above the WHO guidance limit all of the time
and suggest smoking leads to very poor air quality in this location

February 2013

MOH, Myanmar

July 2013

The Government of the

Republic of the Union of
Myanmar
The Ministry of Health
Notification No. 5 / 2014
March 3, 2014
The notification bans smoking in all indoors of public and work places

Some examples from Nepal

Politics in pictorial health warning in

Nepal 2010 -11
Final approval

75%

Parliament Legislative
committee proposal

85%

Amendment proposal
(MPs)

MOH/Govt. proposal

50%

30%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Always think Big

Pictorial health warning, an effective intervention in building

community awareness to prevent future generation from tobacco use

Survey report of Pictorial Health warning in Nepal

shows heightened the public awareness on danger
of tobacco use (n=275)

Media
What have we learnt?
building political will and its translation into actions
Enhancing people participation, enforcement
Disclosing tobacco industry interferences
Building positive story
Safeguarding tobacco control advocates

So what works?
Leadership all about change. Anyone can lead
Determined the goals and act now
Perceived that challenges are the opportunities to
bring changes- please Do not miss opportunity
Systematic thinking and understanding of your
environments
Engaging the people and organizations think out of
box
Self motivation inspires others
Your strategic actions lead to YOU WIN