Tobacco Free Europe
Pledge for candidates for election to the European Parliament
Tobacco Free Europe is a consortium of non-profit organisations working together:
* To ensure that tobacco control becomes a top health priority in the political arena at EU and national level during the elections and beyond
* To generate a high-profile public debate on tobacco control involving politicians, decision-makers and other stakeholders
* To enable the tobacco control community, during the 2009 elections, to build alliances with politicians and decision-makers in Member States, in the future European Parliament and in the Commission
* To hold the successfully elected European Parliamentarians accountable for their commitments beyond the election.
The pledge we wish the candidates to sign:
- Comprehensive protection from tobacco smoke;
- Strong measures to counter tobacco marketing, promotion and imagery;
- Commitment to taxation as a tool to reduce smoking prevalence;
- Tough new measures to control tobacco smuggling;
- Promotion of effective stop smoking measures;
- Stopping tobacco industry influence on government’s tobacco control policies;
- Making the tobacco industry liable for its actions.
General Practitioners and the Economics of Smoking Cessation in Europe
In the frame of PESCE project 31 organisations from 27 countries have developed evidence-based policy recommendations and practice-based implementation strategies to increase the engagement of General Practitioners in smoking cessation in Europe. The project is running from August 2006 to June 2008 under the leadership of Tabac & Liberté (France) and is co-funded by the European Commission Public Health Directorate.
Outcome of COP3
Report from the Framework Convention Alliance
The COP adopted very strong guidelines on Articles 5.3 (protection of public health policy with respect to tobacco control from the commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry), 11 (packaging and labelling) and 13 (advertising, promotion and sponsorship). More...
Publication of the fourth issue of the Spotlight on the FCTC
The Smokefree Partnership published in January 2009 the fourth issue of the Spotlight on the FCTC. This issue focuses on the European Commission proposal to amend EU Directives on the rates and structure of taxes on manufactured cigarettes.
A European project receiving funding from the European Union, in the frame of the Public Health Programme.
Working with Communities to Reduce Health Inequalities: Protecting Children and Young People from Tobacco
The "Working with Communities Network’s" initial activities suggest that addressing tobacco control issues that affect children and young people will be more effective when local communities and peer groups are involved in the solutions. They also indicate that protecting children from tobacco smoke by reducing smoking in homes is more likely to succeed where smoking is more widely banned. However, significant gaps remain in fully understanding the effectiveness of such interventions - there is generally a lack of evaluation or robust evidence of impact or health outcomes. Equally, there is little understanding of how community and peer group engagement methods might be transferable to different cultural contexts and where traditions of governance and public health service delivery differ.
The project Working with Communities to Reduce Health Inequalities: Protecting Children and Young People from Tobacco will attempt to fill these important gaps. It is coordinated by Liverpool Primary Care Trust and supported by a group of nine European associated partners.
Implementation and Enforcement of EU and National Tobacco Advertising Directives
Status: April 2009
The table on the implementation and enforcement of the EU and National Tobacco Advertising bans has been recently updated.
Recent articles added
The following articles have recently been added to the ENSP website:
23.06.09: Conference Announcement: 3rd Romanian Tobacco Control Conference in the News & Reports / Conference Announcement section
23.04.09: Conference Announcement by the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA) in the News & Reports/ Conference Announcement section
23.04.09: Latest update on implementation and enforcement of tobacco advertising bans in Europe, see www.ensp.org/trends/eupolicies
22.04.09: Conference Announcement: EAACI European Pediatric Allergy & Asthma Meeting, Venice-Italy, November 12-14 2009 added in the Conference Announcement Section
16.04.09: Working with Communities to reduce health inequalities - protecting children and young people from tobacco: project newsletter 1 (www.ensp.org/actions/communities)
12.03.09: Healthy Stadia Conference announcement, Liverpool, September 21st 2009 in the News & Reports/ Conference Announcements section
04.03.09: ENSP Response to the EC DG Employment Consultation of the European Social Partners on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to ETS at the workplace (published by the Commission in December 2008)in the Members’ Smoke Free Environments section
03.03.09: ’Communicate, Collaborate, Celebrate’ hosted by ASH Wales added to Conference announcements
29.02.09: Publication by DG SANCO of the Work Plan 2009 added in News & Reports Section/Information and Press Releases
Publication by DG SANCO of the Work Plan 2009
The European Commission has published the Work Plan for 2009 for the implementation of second programme of Community action in the field of health.
The publication of the Work Plan was followed by the calls for proposals. The Executive Agency for Health and Consumers (http://ec.europa.eu/eahc/index.html) published calls for proposals for projects, operating grants, conferences, and joint actions.
PRESS RELEASE - EMBARGO 28 MAY - 12:00 HRS: AT THE OCCASION OF WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY 2009
By Professor Luke Clancy, President of ENSP
World No Tobacco Day 2009 Theme: Tobacco Health Warnings
The Truth Must be Shown
- EU Governments need to Act Now to Save Lives
- Urgent Call for Pictorial Warnings on Tobacco Products
The WHO selected "Tobacco Health Warnings" as the theme for the next World No Tobacco Day, which will take place on 31 May 2009.
Tobacco health warnings appear on packs of cigarettes and are among the strongest defenses against the global epidemic of tobacco.
WHO particularly approves of tobacco health warnings that contain both pictures and words because they are the most effective at convincing people to quit. Such pictorial warnings appear in more than a dozen countries.
On World No Tobacco Day 2009, and throughout the following year, WHO will encourage governments to adopt tobacco health warnings that meet all the criteria for maximal effectiveness, including that they cover more than half of the pack, appear on both the front and back of the pack and contain pictures.
"Tobacco Health Warnings" as the theme for WNTD 2009 and about what the warnings - pictorial ones in particular - can do to fight tobacco. Follow linkl
Commission launches the new Youth Health Initiative Website
The Commission set up a new website in youth friendly design targeted for the young people.
The aim of the website is to empower young people to have a real say about their health by offering them a space to air their views. This website will be used as a main source of information about the Youth Health Initiative.
The initiative emphasises dialogue and involvement of young people in tackling the health issues that affect them and invites young people to be active partners in our work on health.
The Commission launched the new Youth Health Initiative website, which will be accessible in 22 language versions. We disseminate this information within our network in order to involve a variety of young people across Europe.
Exposing the Evidence - Women and Second Hand Smoking in Europe.
INWAT/ENSP Report 2008
As highlighed in this report, there is currently very limited sex and gender specific information on SHS exposure both within and across countries in Europe. Few, if any, programmes have been developed which take a gender-sensitive approach to addressing SHS in public and private places. These and other issues and concerns identified in this newly published report form the basis for the recommendations for future action identified in the its final section.
Why People Smoke
April 2007
This publication focuses on the individual smoker, how nicotine affects the body and why the individual smokes. Issues such as how the body reacts to tobacco are also raised. Certain myths surrounding tobacco and the reality are compared. Many popular (mis)conceptions are examined in the report. Several leading scientists share their knowledge, based on years of research in their expert fields, of how tobacco affects both the body and the mind.
Tobacco-related Directives
For details of the Tobacco Products Directive, Tobacco Advertising Directive and the library of selected source documents for pictorial warnings, please refer to the EU Observatory section.
European Commission: Green paper on a smoke-free Europe
A press conference was hosted by Commissioner Kyprianou on 30 January 2007 to launch the public debate on the best way to promote smoke-free environments. The Green Paper is entitled “Towards a Europe free from tobacco smoke: policy options at EU level”. ENSP has responded to the public consultation on smoke-free environments in the European Union.
European News Bulletins
2 July 2009: latest publication
The new European News Bulletins will now be available in the members’ section
by clicking on "More..." here below.
Communicate, Collaborate, Celebrate Conference, 5-6 October, Cardiff, Wales
A conference hosted by ASH Wales
3rd Romanian Tobacco Control Conference
25 - 27 June 2009
Between June 25th and 27th, 2009 the European Network for Smoking Prevention (ENSP) will participate in the 3rd Romanian Tobacco Control Conference organised by the Romanian Society of Pneumology, in cooperation with Iasi Hospital of Pneumology and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Gr. T. Popa“ Iasi.
EAACI EUROPEAN PEDIATRIC ALLERGY & ASTHMA MEETING
Venice - Italy, November 12th - 14th, 2009
The EAACI European Pediatric Allergy & Asthma Meeting will take place in Venice from 12 to 14 November 2009. For details go to
European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations:
Join EFA on 12-14 June 2009 for two exiting events in Rome, Italy.